


A misunderstanding

by Shortsandramblings



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-05
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-02-11 21:43:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 54,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2084211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shortsandramblings/pseuds/Shortsandramblings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A misunderstanding leads to Sansa having to pretend she is dating Stannis Baratheon, her dad's best friend's younger brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sansa

 

“Sansa!... SANSA!!“

 

 _\- Crap_!

With an internal groan, Sansa turned around to greet her friend, who she _might_ have been trying to avoid for the last hour, “Hey Margery. Sorry was... thinking about something; lost in my thoughts. _Wow_ \- you look stunning, as per usual. Did you just arrive?”

“Sansa dear, you seem to be getting more and more lost.... And no I did not _just_ arrive. I bumped into Robb earlier and he told me _you_ had arrived, but you were _nowhere_ to be seen!”

 

 _That was my intention_.

 

Oblivious to Sansa's internal frustrations, Margery quickly grabbed her friend’s hand and brought her to a side of the room.

“So, are you going to present me to your mystery boyfriend then? You told me he would be at this party.”

“You know I can’t: all our families are here! After what happened with Jof, both dad and Robb have been very prickly with any guy I bring home. Do you not remember what happened with Pod?”

“Oh come on! I can keep a secret… We just walk up to him, and pretend to just meet some guy… What could be simpler?… pleaseeeee.”

 

 _This is why I was hiding from you_!

 

-

 

It had been over three years since the horrible breakup with Joffrey. After it, Sansa had been less inclined by the opposite sex, or even going out to clubs and bars anymore. Instead she had preferred concentrating on her university work. She would only really meet her friends during the day, in coffee stores, museums… The only date she had been on since was with Podrick, a shy guy in her _European History: Lineage through the Ages_ course. Needless to say, that one date had gone horribly bad. She had only agreed because both Jeyne and Marg had pushed her into it … and then Robb had found out….

After that, Sansa stayed even more away from boys. - _What is the point? Either they turn out like Joffrey or they will be freaked out by my family_.

And then, six months ago, Marg had started taking things into her own hands and had set Sansa up on dates: first it had been Willas, then Tyrion, then Harry…

Finally one day Sansa had enough and had told her she had a boyfriend. It was of course not true but the lie had seemed so perfect. She told Marg that she couldn’t tell her who because of her and his family, and they were still getting to know each other, they would rather not have prying eyes all around them. Plus, this allowed Sansa to hide a few hours in the library without being disturbed.

 

That had been 3 months ago.

 

A month ago Marg had obviously told Jeyne, and then _both_ had started harassing Sansa into telling them who the guy was:

_“I cannn’t. I promise I would tell if I could but I know dad and mom wouldn’t approve, and who knows how his family will take it…”_

_“Ohhh is he a bit of a bad boy? Trying to corrupt the beautiful innocent Sansa Stark", had smirked Jeyne with a wink._

_“Nooo, he must be older- nothing is worse for parents than find out their daughter is dating an older guy…. Am I right Sansa?”_

_Sansa had just been so confused that she didn’t know how to respond, “its just… I don’t know… we just want to keep it private… you know like your brother, keeping Loras a 'secret' of sorts.”_

_“You’re a lesbian!”_

_“No! He a guy. I mean, we just don’t want everyone… all our families judging us!”_

_Jeyne quisically looked at Sansa: “Sooo it's someone our families know?”_

_“Gods! You know what that means: he’s going to be at the Annual Baratheon Summer Party!” Margeary had exclaimed. “But that’s perfect. We can meet him then!... plus Joff will be with some blonde bimbo, and you’ll be there with Mr Mysterious!”_

 

No matter how much Sansa had protested, Jeyne and Marg had come up with a whole plan for the evening, and had even roped Sansa into going shopping with them, to find a new dress for the party.

 

-

 

Now here she was, obviously with no Mr Mysterious, mainly hanging near Arya and Marcella, trying to hide from Marg, Jeyne… and Joffrey.

 

Suddenly someone, bumped into her from behind.

Ignoring Marg rabbling on about her _boyfriend_ , Sansa turned around and came face to face with Stannis Baratheon.

He looked a little absent-minded, holding two drinks in his hand, seeming to have spilt some of one of the drinks on himself.

“Oh… sorry…. I’m sorry Sansa… I … here.”

Placing one of the drinks in her hand, he went to the nearest table for a napkin and then came back as he started wiping at the strain.

Sansa had been so confused in the whole exchange that she had taken the beverage silently, and hadn’t even noticed Margery had started quickly looking between Stannis and herself... Only to then exclaim: “ _Stannis_!... You’re going out with Stannis Baratheon!”

 

 


	2. Stannis

 

This was a nightmare. His brother was already drunk, leering at anything with an ass that moved. Who knows where Cersei was. Last time he had seen her, she had been talking by the terrace with her twin brother.

 _By the Seven, I hate these things_! _Why did Davos have to be ill tonight_!

Stannis, for the most part, avoided his brother’s parties, or any party for that matter. However, he could unfortunately never miss the Annual Summer Party. First, his brother would be more of a pain if he didn’t go… and it was a good way of talking with some of the company investors without one of the fucking Lannisters putting their nose into the conversation.

However the number of people Stannis could have an interesting conversation with was minimal: Lomas, Cressen, Jon Arryn, Barristan Selmy, Eddard Stark and his son and nephew. Stannis had spent the last hour talking with Jon Snow, Professor Stark’s nephew. Similar to himself, both the young man and his uncle were efficient in their work, straight forward, no funny business. Stannis had been surprised when he had met his advisor in his Economics course several years ago, seeing that his older brother’s friend was nothing like Robert. It also seemed that Jon had also learned a lot from the university professor. Jon had been one of the few Baratheon Industries interns that had actually shown promise.

After their talk, Jon had rejoined his cousin, and Stannis had gotten to get some juice.

 

“Stan! There you are!”

 _\- Oh, Gods_!

“Stanny-Stan-Stan, come here! Ned tells me you still come to the university to speak with him about the Gods only know what!”

Forcing his face to remain stoic, and not clenching his teeth in frustration, Stannis turned and greeted the two men approaching him, with a nod,“Robert, … Professor.”

His brother looked at him in utter disbelief .

“The Seven help us, your always the one with formalities aren’t you- you haven’t been Ned’s student for what… 5 years? People probably think you’re the 40 year old and I’m the one that’s 10 years younger!... loosen up Stanny! This is a party!”

Stannis jaw twitched as Robert arm did a while circle motion around them as if to indicate the party going on around them. Impressively, none of the scotch fell out of the glass. That was before Robert took a large gulp from it, emptying half of it in one go. Thinking quickly, Stannis grabbed a second drink from the table, and excused himself, “I know where I am Robert… I... I was actually just on my way to meet someone”, before leaving Prof Stark and his drunken older brother, to walk as fast as possible in the opposite direction.

He had been concentrating on his brother swearing behind him that Stannis wasn’t really aware of where he was going. His lack of a proper direction made him trip on himself and run into auburn hair.

 _By the Seven_! Some of his orange juice had spilt on him, as he nearly ran over Sansa Stark, Professor Stark's eldest daughter, and, if he remembered correctly, an undergrad student at the university.

Quickly trying to apologise to her, he then quickly grabbed a napkin, and started wiping at the stain.

He was only pulled out of his thoughts when he heard his name.

 

Looking up he saw one of Sansa’s friend staring at him, and Sansa had turned red. _What the-?_

 

“You’re dating him! … No wonder you wanted to keep it a secret!”

 

 _I’ve obviously missed something_ …

 

Still confused, Stannis only half registered when the red head took his hand with the napkin, saying defiently “ yes I am, now if you’ll excuse us…” before being guided down on of the corridors.

 


	3. Sansa

_Oh my gosh… Oh my gosh… Oh my gosh…_

She repeated the words in her head because nothing else seemed to be coming to her... the last 5 minutes were a blank, as if her mind had forced itself to forget them.

She couldn’t stop walking, only half noticing the man she was silently tugging through the mansion. They walked down the corridor, passing room after room as if each one wasn’t good enough for her.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to really to pay attention to know more or less where to go- having dated Joffrey meant she knew enough the house to know which rooms were where.

They finally reached one of the bathrooms at the other end of the house.

She opened the door and guided the both of them inside.

 

After a few minutes of looking around, she noticed that her hand was still clasping a wet paper napkin and more specifically Stannis Baratheon’s hand. She quickly let go as if it had burned her.

 

Then not thinking of anything better to do she grabbed one of the towels from the rack and wet it with warm water before giving it to him.

“Here - for the stain”

“ Uhhh thanks…”

 

He took the towel but made no other movement. He just stood there, looking at her in utter confusion. In that moment, Sansa quickly looked at him from head to toe. She had met him a few times before but only briefly since she would hang around with the rest of the Baratheons more than him, and he would usually talk more with dad, or Jon or Robb.

This was the first time she properly looked at him. He was…imposing. But not at all in the same way as Robert Baratheon. _He is … 30? ... 31_? She knew Robert was much older, in his early forties, just a little younger than dad, and that Renly was a year older than Robb and Jon- 25, but she couldn’t quite remember how old the second Baratheon was… He was tall, broad; he was definitely more in shape than his older brother. His dark hair was cut short. His face was long and tight. _Tight. That was the proper adjective_. He had a five o’clock shadow on his chin, _probably from working so much_? He wasn’t handsome like Renly, but he was unappealing either she decided. He was maybe a bit too skinny, _as if to compensate for his older brother’s large stomach_. He was wearing a well-trimmed black suit, which didn’t have much detail to it.

The only two things that stood out was the stain on the white shirt beneath the suit, and his eyes: his dark blue eyes seemed to dance; like the ocean during a storm.

Her blue eyes quickly left his, looking down.

 

 

He looked at little ridiculous: still holding on to the towel she had given him, and one of the two glasses from earlier which seemed to have been forgotten in his other hand. She had nearly let out a chuckle at the ridiculousness of it all, before she remembered that he was probably waiting on her to give an explanation.

“Um… Mr Baratheon….”

_No that sounds too formal.. I’m never going to get anywhere calling him Mr Baratheon…_

She tried again: “… Stannis”

She twisted her fingers together… _How to beginning?_

“… You… you …you should wipe the stain… I mean the stain should be wiped before it dries.”

 _Coward_.

She was getting irritated. If anything she was getting more irritated. She was annoyed at Margery and Jeyne, … and maybe also at Stannis for just standing there not saying anything but for the most part she was angry at herself.

 _Why did I lie?… I have never been good at lying… always take it too far… Gosh…why couldn’t I just tell the truth_!

Through her thoughts she looked up at Stannis, noticing he had started wiping the stain again, as she had instructed, _maybe not knowing what else to do_?

“Stop! Stop! you are doing it wrong! Give me that”

 

She grabbed the towel and started rubbing the stain.

She felt his chest tense at her touch _… Oh Gods… well this was a stupid move_!

 

Sansa quickly took a step back, folding the towel between her fingers, looking at her feet.

“Sorry, … it’s just you were doing it wrong… the movement needs to go with…”

Her words slowly disappeared into silence.

“I’m sorry to have spilt the drink on you. Did… did I ruin your dress?”

She looked up, not hiding her surprise.

“Oh don’t worry about it… its fine…”

“No, please let me have a look.”

Guided by his hand on her shoulder, she let herself be turned, before Stannis started examining her back more any juice on her dress.

She felt her hair being shifted.

 

“I’m sorry Miss Stark… it seems that the fabric has absorbed some of the orange juice… If you want I can try and scrub some of it…?“

His hand shifted upwards, higher up on her shoulder blade before with his other hand he reached around to take the towel from her hands and start scrubbing the back on her dress.

The motion continued for a bit longer before the voice behind her said:

“… Miss Stark… Sansa,… I was wondering… I mean I think I might have heard wrong, consumed by my own foolishness but … your friend… Margery… Why did …? … Did she say that …”

Quickly turning around, she nearly ran into him, as she hadn’t fully realised how close he was to her.

“Stannis… I’m sorry … I have been really foolish… I … please let me try and explain.”

That’s when the door quickly opened. Cersei and Jaime Lannister stepped in, grins on their faces, only to stop as they noticed the scene and the two people in front of them.

Sansa’s hair pulled to one shoulder, Stannis’s hand was placed near her neck, her own hands positioned between the small amount of space between them, with half their clothes damp from orange juice or water.

_Oh Gods… could this get any worse?_

 


	4. Stannis

Stannis was confused, and that was putting it lightly.

 

He was being lead down a corridor by Sansa Stark. To his recollection they had never shared than a few words before, as she would more hang out with Renly, and the Tyrell siblings.

_What had just happened? I’ve obviously missed something/ misheard something_?

Stannis was going over all that had happened between leaving his drunk brother’s side and now. Even as he was replaying it in his mind, his confusion only grew further. _What had Margery Tyrell been talking about_?

Stannis was wondering if he should ask Sansa about the previous conversation when she finally found a destination to their walking-dragging.

Once she brought them both inside, she seemed as confused as him, and started blushing before rapidly releasing his hand.

 

There was silence. Neither of them knew what to say it seemed.

_Should I ask her about the conversation? What is I miss heard completely and she thinks I’m subtly hitting on her? … How am I going to broach the subject without making a totally ass of myself_?

As the thoughts were going through his mind, Sansa gave him a damp towel from the rack, obviously for his stain. As he mindlessly took the towel, and started rubbing the towel once more, Stannis took a sneaking look through his eye-lashes at the girl in front of him. Because she was definitely a girl: she was what 22..23? …only a few years younger than Renly? … She was slim, maybe a little underweight but the light blue dress suited her perfectly, showing well all her curves that it made her look svelte more than anything. She had long beautiful auburn hair, luscious lips… _Oh God I’m checking out Ned’s daughter!... What is wrong with me?... I’m becoming my brother_!?

His horrified thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Sansa grabbing the towel from him and started rubbing his chest herself! - _What the_!? Oh gosh, Stannis suddenly felt his breeches twitch at her touch _\- Is it a curse that all Baratheon men become depraved sex-maniacs_!?

She obvious felt his crazy lust because Sansa quickly removed her hand from his chest. _Gods now she probably disgusted by me and going to run to Ned saying God Knows What_?

But no- Sansa started apologising to him. This made Stannis more confused: if anything he should be apologising to her. Obviously he was going to skip over the inappropriate thoughts that had just passed his mind and decided to at least apologise for spilling on her dress.

“I’m sorry to have spilt the drink on you. Did… did I ruin your dress?”

She looked up at him in surprise.

Gosh he couldn’t look at that face anymore, makes him think of his previous thoughts and his brother… Quickly thinking of an excuse he turned her to face away from him, and started staring at her back.

Stannis reached for her hair, brushing it to the side, to inspect the damage he had done.

_Crap!- I must have poured most of the drink on her! She going to be furious when she sees this fucking stain_! … _Right damage control time_.

Apologising again he took the towel from her and started rubbing her dress and back. Gosh this was stupid, her skin was so soft under his fingers, it made his crutch twitch once more. _Need to think of something else!_

With that Stannis forced himself to think about now this all began- _Margery of course_ …. _Now How to broach the subject without sounding like a total pervert/ass_?

“Miss Stark...”

No she had called him ‘Stannis’, he should obviously call her by her name as well.

“… Sansa,… I was wondering… I mean I think I might have heard wrong, consumed by my own foolishness but … your friend… Margery… Why did …? … Did she say that …”

 

As he was babbling, she quickly turning around, brushing against him, her face nearly hitting his. As Sansa started panicky-ly trying to explain the situation, Stannis stared into her eyes – _Gods she has gorgeous blue eyes_ …

Stannis’s hand was still on her shoulder, his subconscious was wondering what it would be like to move the hand just a little further up and just cup her jaw when the door suddenly opened. _– What the_?

_Great the freaking Lannister twins_!

After a brief silence with everyone looking at each other, Cersei’s face suddenly changed from a state of surprise to a smirk. Stannis quickly dropped his hand back down to his waist.

“Oh Sansa, little dove, so glad you could come to our little party… with Stannis no less… didn’t know you were prepared to do pretty much anything- or anyone- to get into the family… “

Sansa’s face became pale, and Stannis’s red with anger, not at the insult directed to him, but to how Cersei had talked to Sansa. At least Jaime looked uncomfortable with his twin’s little speech. Though before Stannis could speak, the young woman next to him responded defiantly.

“Cersei… so nice to see you too… I’m sorry to see you are once again had to resort to go to your brother for some companionship; you’ve obviously lost your husband… I think you can find him between the legs of one of the waitresses.”

All three of them looked at her in surprise. Jaime with a bit of humour, Cersei with a maddening glare, and Stannis with a small amount of respect.

“Why you little-“

“Cersei, I think maybe it’s time you left… you should probably go greet more of your guest, you know as you’re the host and all…” Stannis interrupted through clench teeth.

Jaime, who was obviously thinking along the same lines as Stannis, started dragging his sister back. “Come on sis- let’s see where Tommen and Cella are…”

As soon as the twins had left the room, Sansa slammed the door shut once more.

“ Gosh that evil bitch… Arghhh!!... I just want to …arggh!”

Stannis watched as Sansa went through a wave of emotions: anger – obviously- but also strain, and sadness, as well it seemed. Stannis was surprised when he saw a tear roll down her cheek, and a few others were in her eyes, that she was obviously trying to hold back.

“…Sansa…are you ok? I’m sorry for Cersei what said… it was way out of line… I would talk to my brother about it, if he actually would do something to control that woman… but sometimes it’s best to ignore her… she-“

“Oh don’t worry… it’s not that… I was just remembering something …from before… with Jof…”

 

_Oh of course_ …, Stannis remembered that Ned had said something about his daughter dating the little shit. Ned had been really relieved when Sansa had decided to end it, but apparently the relationship had left a few scars, and Ned had seemed sometimes worried about his young beautiful Sansa. _-Gosh and I moments ago was lusting over her_.

Sansa’s voice brought him back to the present.

“Im sorry about what she said about you..”

“Oh its fine… Cersei and I have never gotten along… her whole family are a bunch of asses…”

Sansa burst into sudden laughter. “Hahahaha”

Stannis looked at her in surprise from her sudden giggle.

“Stannis… I don’t think I’ve ever heard you cuss before… haha …its suits you …”

“hehe …yea… I usually leave the profanities to my brother…”

 

“Haha… and now you’ve made a joke… are you sure you’re Stannis?”

“Last I checked… think it was the sequence of events that disturbed my normal stature.”

Stannis looked up, noticing Sansa looking at him, with still a soft smile, her tears having dried. Getting uncomfortable once more, Stannis spoke:

“I am sorry to have ruined your dress… I will of course pay for the dry cleaner...”

“… Oh don’t worry… I should be the one apologising for that whole thing with Marg, and dragging you here…”

Continuing to look at her, Stannis noticed that her cheeks suddenly flushed a bit.

“… Sansa…would you mind actually explaining that whole thing with Miss Tyrell? … I’m still at a loss to…”

“Gosh I’m so embarrassed… Stannis you are going to think I’m a total idiot, but please hear me out.”

Stannis straighten himself in curiosity: “please… I’m sure it’s not that bad…”

“Well… umm… here it goes…I… Margery…. No….as you may know I broke up with Joffrey a few years ago…and well since then I haven’t really dated anyone one since… he kind of put me off seeing anyone to be honest.”

_Yes, the little shit could have that effect on women_ Stannis thought, but he was still very confused to where Sansa was going with this, so he continued to listen:

“Anyway Margery kept on going on and on about this whole thing about not having a boyfriend, and how I was boring, not going out anymore… so I told her I had a boyfriend…”

Sansa suddenly stopped, looking very embraced.

Stannis who was still confused as to where he fit in edged her on: “Sansa … please continue…”

“Well that’s the thing I don’t have a boyfriend, even though I told her I did… and then she kept on bugging me and bugging me about who it was. Even Jeyne joined in….and then they were convinced this Mr Mysterious was here tonight… so when you gave me your extra drink Margery obviously assumed that… well…” Sansa quickly looked at him all flustered.

_OH_! It all suddenly clicked. He was this Mr Mysterious!

“… and you affirmed her assumption?”

“Oh Stannis, I’m really sorry… she had been driving me crazy for weeks, and I didn’t know what else to do… I mean you were right there… and…well I panicked!”

 

Stannis was silent for and few minutes, Sansa looking at him with a very worried face, before he slowly replied:”…So what would you like me to do?”

 


	5. Sansa

_What would you have me do? … What would you have me do?! – Is he being serious? Is he actually thinking of going along with this stupid lie of mine?... giving this ludicrous thing some thought_?!

 

Sansa stared back at Stannis in utter confusion and sock; not knowing how to process his question.

“Are you really not going to ask me anything else? …or tell me off?... or say I’m a crazy!”

Stannis replied with a small smile: “Is it not one man’s duty to help out a damsel in distress?”

Sansa gave him a glare, to which Stannis just shrugged:

“I know it might feel strange that I’m not actually questioning your whole story with Miss Tyrell, but first of all I personally know that Miss Margery can sometimes be a bit too much to handle, so I don’t blame you for lying to her. Second thing: I was in a difficult situation a few years back, and there was someone that helped me out …even though I didn’t know him. So I just know what it’s like to sometimes need some help and finding it in the most unlikely way or even in the simplest way. Just the thought that I could help in some way, doesn’t make the situation so bad. I mean it’s not like you asking me to kill someone… right?... I mean what does this … um … thing … entail?... maybe I should know what I might be getting into before agreeing to anything?”

“Well, … ok. I guess that seems fair. It’s true I promise all I ask is quite simple…no dead bodies or anything” Sansa added with a small smile.

After a moment of reflection she continued: “Well the thing is I told Marg that I was dating someone … that was three months ago. And well tonight she thought that you were this mystery boyfriend. I guess what I’m asking is that you could maybe play along… I mean maybe this is not the best time to talk over this, the exact details of …this [ _gesturing the both of them with her hands_ ] but the main gist would be that hopefully you agree to pretend to be dating me for Marg… and Jeyne.”

There was a pause. _– Should I continue?.... this is a party… people are already half drunk surely he’s not expecting a 5 page exposé on what I expect from him… whatever that even is?_

“Hum… well what I suggest is maybe we go back to the party, and maybe we meet next week?… Monday?... give you the rest of the weekend to think about this… what would be things you’re ok with,… not ok with? … if you’re still ok with doing all of this?”

Stannis stared back at her, and finally replied: “Yes, that seems sensible enough. Monday should be fine.”

After a moment he added: “Maybe we should exchange contact details? Figure a place to meet?”

_\- Gosh this feels like a business transaction/ meeting._

“Yes, that sounds perfect. Would you be ok with meeting on campus or near campus? ... I have a few lectures on Monday, so we could meet after them?”

Stannis merely nodded as he took out his wallet and within it a business card.

_Gosh this guy is all business… maybe this was a bad idea-_

Suddenly the door swung open and both her father and her brother’s face appeared. Their faces were going between worried, shocked and angry. In a passing thought Sansa was glad that there was more distance between her and Stannis than there had been when the Lannister twins had walked in.

“Dad?... everything ok?”

Professor Stark’s eyes slowly went between Stannis and Sansa, clearly trying to get a better understanding of the room.

“I was just speaking with Robert when Cersei came up, and said something about …” his cheeks turning a little red he paused, obviously not knowing how to continue.

 

Sansa saw red. That Margery fell for her stupid lie: fine, that was a given. That Cersei thought whatever her sordid mind made her think couldn’t be helped. But that her own father would think so low of her that he would think she was hooking up with some guy at a family party!

 

Through gripped teeth, Sansa icily asked: “What, dad? What did Mrs Baratheon say? I sure it was fascinating.”

Her father replied, embarrassed: “Well Cersei….said something about Stan and you being in a bathroom… together [ _he slowly eyed Stannis again_ ]… and mentioned something about you -”

“-Me what dad?... What, according to Cersei, were Mr Baratheon and I doing? Are you really going to believe anything that woman says? …Come on dad! If you must know, I had contacted Mr Baratheon last week for help on my thesis. We had been discussing it when Mr Baratheon was accidentally pushed and I inadvertently split some of my drink on his shirt. [ _Pointing to the now orange-ish stain on Stannis’s shirt_ ] So I thought it would be best to try and minimise the damage, and try and clean some of the stain off.”

After a long pause where none of the three men knew how to respond, Sansa continued: “I think dad… and you Rob owe Mr Baratheon…and I an apology.”

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

The car journey back to the house was a little awkward. Her father seemed a little embarrassed still about the earlier incident, but thankfully didn’t mention it. As for Robb, Sansa felt his eyes on her whole journey back, but Sansa willed herself to ignore his stare and instead talk with Arya, who was going on about her fencing instructor.

 

Once the Starks had finally arrived home, and Sansa had reached her room, the inevitable happened: someone knocked at her door quite insistently. It was of course Robb.

Opening her door, he quickly came in.

In a mock voice she said: “Please come in, do make yourself at home.”

“Don’t you sass me Sansa- Right I don’t care what bull excuse you gave dad about ‘Mr Baratheon’ [ _gesturing air-quotes_ ] giving you ‘private’ [ _more air-quotes_ ] tutorials for your thesis paper but I want the truth. Before your little stint with him, Margery asked me all coyly if you and Stannis Baratheon would meet often at uni, and then, barely five minutes later that Cersei bitch goes up to dad saying that you were shaking up with him…. And if you were just talking ‘business’ why were you in the farthest bathroom of the whole Baratheon mansion?! And there was a stain on the back of your dress as well as one his shirt!?”

Sansa looked at her brother incredulously: “Really Robb, you base all your little findings on what two of the most obvious/ chatty/ gossipy women of the whole of Westeros? – anyway as I told dad, Mr Baratheon accidentally bumped into me, spilling some of his juice on my dress. And yes I had planned to ask him about the proposal I had sent to him last week. So when we wanted to clean some of the mess on our clothes, it also seemed like a good way to quickly discuss our weekly meetings. We chose that bathroom not because it was - as you say - the farthest but because most of the noise from the main room was faded away and we could actually hear ourselves think! In any case, I don’t know if you noticed but the other main bathroom that wasn’t directly off the main salon on the ground floor was taken over by Jof hooking up with some bimbo!”

Sansa knew it was a bit of a cop-out but mentioning Joffrey always cooled down Robb. She knew that he felt guilty to not having protected her before things had gotten really sour between Jof and her.

Robb didn’t t seem convinced, but didn’t reply straight away, seeming to be thinking over what his sister had just told him.

After a moment he finally said: “Fine- but this isn’t over, if I find out that Stannis Baratheon, or any guy for that matter, has been touching you I’ll-“

“-Gosh Robb I’m not six anymore! I probably know more about sex than you do!”

With that she shut her bed room door on her older brother’s shock/horrified face.

 


	6. Stannis

Most people hated Mondays or working, his older brother being the main example of this. However, Stannis actually looked forward to the end of the weekend and going to work. Work always made sense, and always could be dealt with, with a clear strategy in mind. Whereas the rest of his life was another matter. Both his brothers, in their own way, were always creating problems for him to deal with, not even mentioning Robert’s wife and children.

And now there was this whole thing with Sansa Stark. The whole idea of them pretending to date was a bit absurd, but as long as it didn’t influence his work too much it should be fine/ add some new thing to his life – Davos was always trying to get him to do something new/ ‘daring’/ ‘out of his comfort zone’: well this was definitely in that category.

The idea of him tutoring to Sansa had been a good quick-thinking excuse on her part, but later in the evening she had actually come back to confirm that she wouldn’t mind if she did have tutorials/ meetings with him; going over some of her thesis and even some of her course with him, as her dad had always spoke highly of him.

Eddard Stark was the only thing that actually worried him. When on Friday he had seen Ned’s, or even Robb Stark, reaction to the possibility of him actually dating his daughter, he knew that all possible fake-relationship should be hidden from the Stark patriarch.

 

All morning Stannis dove into his work, forgetting the whole incident of the weekend. It was only at lunch time that Friday night’s party was brought to the foreground of his mind. Looking through the glass door of his office, he noticed Davos speaking with Jon Snow, and surprisingly Robb Stark. The two younger men seemed to be talking about something quite interesting because Davos’s face was lit up with a great smile that didn’t offer any comfort to Stannis.

The three suddenly turned their attention to Stannis’s office, and when they saw that they were being spied on, they all walked over.

 

_Oh great- what now? What new hell will they try to drag me into now_?

 

Davos opened the door, still smiling: “Hey Stan, guess what: both Robb and Jon were thinking of doing a beach-sailing trip next week. They’ve already invited Renly and Loras, and have just invited us to join. Isn’t it great: you’re always saying that you miss going out sailing.”

Stannis sceptically glanced at the other two men: “You sail? I always thought that stark men were more hunters than sailors?”

Robb shrugged: “Yea we are, but also we’ve done a bit of fishing and sailing with Uncle Ed and uncle Brynden. Mom’s family’s always been crazy about trout fishing. So what do you say?”

Stannis wasn’t fooled. He knew that neither the young stark or his cousin hadn’t truly believed what Sansa had told Professor Stark on Friday, and were probably trying to find out from all means possible if there was actually something between him and Sansa- Sansa had warned him.

Stannis took a minute to reflect: he knew if he didn’t agree that he would probably have to go on Robert’s hunting trip that same week, which also included Ned Stark. Robb Stark or Ned Stark? Robert or Renly? In a way he’d rather have to deal with the son than the father. Also with having the excuse of not having to deal with his older brother was always a good bonus. His younger brother was much more enjoyable to be around, even though sometimes he did take things a bit too far/ tried to make things just a bit to pretty and colourful for Stannis’ taste. Moreover if he did say ‘no’, he knew that Davos would question his reason, and that Robb and Jon would probably find some other way to trap him in a false sense of comfort.

“Sounds Great. What is the plan?”

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Thankfully lunch with the two Northerners and Davos hadn’t been too bad. Their sailing trip actually sounded like it could be fun; they were going to go to the Shield Island’s where apparently Renly and Loras had already done several trips. However Stannis had made a point to say that he would need to take some work with him, to which Davos had commented that he could never really ‘switch off’, and the two Starks had laughed.

 

It was now nearing six, and Stannis started clearing his desk when a booming voice brought him out of his thoughts.

“Stan! My main man! How are you little bro?”

_\- Oh Great! What does he want_?

Robert Baratheon entered the room, noticing his brother packing his stuff for the evening: “You leaving work already? Are you feeling well?”

“No, I have a meeting on campus.” Stannis replied firmly, not wanting to go into detail on who his meeting was with.

“Haha, should have known. If you’re not here, you’re at the university. Good old Stannis, so predictable! Anyway, there’s something I wanted to ask you about…” Robert added with an evil grin Stannis didn’t trust one bit.

“Go on.”

“Well Cersei mentioned something about you and Ned’s daughter … alone in a bathroom. Care to elaborate?”

“It’s nothing really worth mentioning, Robert. Cersei misunderstood the situation: Miss Stark and I had a mishap with our drinks when we had been discussing her thesis.”

“HA! I’m not gullible-honourable Ned Stark. You could maybe fool him, making him believe some crack pot story but not me! Haha- come on Stan, you can tell me the truth! Gosh I still can’t quite believe it: I mean the girl is a looker, I was ten years younger well… but gosh man she’s Ned’s daughter! Have you no control! Haha I guess not. Us Baratheon men… we always get the gorgeous ones: first me with Cersei, then Renly with that Tyrell girl, now you with that young stark beauty! HAha!”

Stannis had not the time to explain to his brother that there was nothing going on between him and Sansa, or even for that matter that Renly was more interested in the Tyrell boy than the ‘Tyrell girl’. So he just started walking past his brother, towards the door.

“Robert, I’m really sorry but I’m meeting Stark on campus, and I’m running late.”

“Haha … Stark riiiiggght… and which Stark would that be exactly?”

 

Stannis continued walking down the hall without replying. His brother was actually right – he was going to be late for his meeting with Sansa. For some reason the thought of meeting with her made his heart beat go a tiny bit faster.

 

%MCEPASTEBIN%


	7. Sansa

 

**_When r u comin home? x_ **

 

Sansa read the text and couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. Since the party on Friday she had successfully avoided Margery – and the interrogation that would follow- all weekend, by spending it at her parents’ house. She had gone straight from Winterfell Manor to her first lecture this morning, and had been on campus ever since. But she knew it was time to face the inevitable.

 

**_Sorry, meeting with Stan. C u after_? x**

 

Well it wasn’t like she was lying: she was actually was actually waiting to meet Stannis. Though probably not for the reasons Margery would think.

Barely a full minute had passed when her phone buzzed once more.

**_Oooo meeting with Stan? ;) Can I join? Feel it’s my duty as BFF to make sure he’s good enuf for my girl! X_ **

**_Rain check – don’t think he’s ready for the Tyrell inquisition just yet. x_ **

Two seconds later:

**_Fair enuf. though U shud b ready for it! I will need copious amounts of DETAILS! Xx_ **

 

_Woohoo! Can’t wait… not_!

 

As Sansa sat on the side of the steps leading to the Aegon Building waiting for Stannis she wondered what she would tell her friend _. I guess that’s why I’m meeting with Stannis: to figure out what our relationship is…_

She suddenly had a dreaded thought: _What if he’s changed his mind? Oh Gods_!-

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by someone speaking from the top of the stairs, in an oily voice: “Sansa, sweetling, what are you doing here by yourself? Do you need a ride home?”

Sansa tried to hold the bile that she felt in the back of her throat and turned to face Professor Baelish with a sweet smile.

 

“Thank you Professor, but I’m just waiting for someone.” _– and its highly inappropriate for you to offer a ride to a student! You creep!_

 

“Sansa, I have already told you please call me Petyr, outside of the lecture room... Are you sure you don’t need a ride? I would hate to leave the daughter of one of my dearest friends by herself, especially when it’s seems your friend was foolish enough to stand you up.”

As Petyr replied, he slowly came down the steps, getting closer to her. – A little too close for Sansa’s comfort.

 

“No it’s really fine Professor, he just messaged me saying he was running late.” – _Oh Gods please don’t stand me up Stannis Baratheon_!

 

In the mix of praying to herself, Sansa couldn’t help but notice Petyr Baelish’s mouth twitch a tiny bit when she had said ‘he’.

“Oh, are you waiting for your boyfr-“

Before he could finish, Sansa felt a gentle hand place itself on her shoulder. And someone to the other side of her spoke.

“Sansa, sorry I’m late. Something at the office kept me.”

_Thank the Gods_!

Sansa couldn’t help but turn with a bright smile towards her saviour, and replied without thinking:

“Oh Stan, you’re here! You ready to go sweety?”

 

If Stannis was surprised by her response, he didn’t show it. Instead he had turned his head slightly towards Petyr Baelish who looked like he had just been slapped across the face.

“Everything alright Professor?”

Sansa, who wanted to get away from Prof Baelish as soon as possible, stood up from the brick wall, and took Stannis’s hand.

“Oh don’t worry sweety, Professor Baelish was kind enough to make sure I was ok, whilst I was waiting for you.”

Sansa couldn’t help but notice the ironic tone when Stannis said:

“So nice of you to care about the wellbeing of your students, Professor. Well now that I’m here, I’m sure Sansa and I can free you to more interesting things. Enjoy your evening.”

And with that Stannis gently squeezed Sansa’s hand and lead her away from the building- and more importantly- from a still shell-shocked Petyr Baelish.

 

When they were out of hearing range, Sansa slowly turned towards Stannis: “Thank you for that.”

After a brief pause, Stannis replied: “Sansa can I ask you something?”

“O-of course.”

“I know it isn’t really any of my business, but how well do you know Professor Baelish?”

_Oh Gods- does he think something is going on between Petyr Baelish and me_?!

 

“Oh Stannis, I assure you Prof Baelish is just one of my lecturers. He and my mom and my aunt use to go to Vale University when they were young, but I have never asked any favours from him, in any way, I swear!”

“Sorry Sansa, I didn’t mean anything by it or to pry but he doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to the women-students on campus… I know your father doesn’t have anything good to say about the man… and well I would hate for you to get mixed up with someone like him…” Stannis responded with a slight blush in his cheeks.

 

Wanting to change the subject to something that didn’t involve Petyr Baelish, she quickly said: “Anyway, we should probably go get some food? … and maybe discuss Friday…” now it was her turn to blush. Quietly avoiding his gaze, she led them to the _Red Fork_ , a little dinner just off campus.

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Sansa was full. She had just eaten a huge salad, and a milkshake, but that wasn’t the reason why her stomach was now turning. It was because now she didn’t have any more excuses to not bring up the topic of Friday. When they had arrived at the diner, they had quickly found a seat near the back, and had ordered and then ate their food, but apart from that there hadn’t been any real interaction between Stannis and her. – _Well apart from when you awkwardly let go of his hand when he helped you to your seat_! _Argggh! why is this sooo awkward? Oh yea because I am stupid foolish idi-_

“Hum”

The noise of Stannis clearing his throat, made Sansa look back up at him. Her heart missed a beat when her eyes were met directly with his. _–Oh Gods_!

 

“Hum, soo… did you have a nice weekend?... I mean other than the Baratheon party…” he suddenly fell silent, his cheeks turning red.

 

“Ye-ea, it was nice. Spent it at the parents’. Mom is always complaining that she never sees any of us any more…”

“Oh, that sounds nice. Your older brother actually stopped by the office at lunch today.”

 

_For f*** shake Robb_!

 

Hiding her frustration Sansa couldn’t help but plea: “to have lunch with Jon?” _Not you_?

“Well actually we ended up having lunch the four of us: Robb, Jon, Davos and I.”

While silently planning her brother’s murder… and maybe her cousin’s as well, Sansa asked: “Work lunch?... or were you just catching up …?”

“Actually Robb and Jon invited us to join them on a sailing trip next week- for the Winter’s End celebrations.”

“Oh! … and what did you say?... sorry … now it’s my turn to be nosy but I’d just be a little careful Stannis. Especially with Robb. Since Friday he’s been trying to figure out what’s happening between the two of us.” – _and he’s not the only one_ …

“Oh haha don’t worry, I didn’t miss a beat. But thought it would be best to go sailing with your brother than go hunting with your dad…”

Suddenly and picture of her dad with a gun and a stag-like Stannis running popped into her mind.

“Yes, maybe it is for the best. Plus I think Renly once told me that you always liked the sea?”

“Yea, he’s right I do. Unfortunately don’t have much time lately to out as much as I would like.” A sad expression etched on his features as he finished.

Obviously not wanting to downer the mood, Stannis quickly straightened himself up and said: “well, anyways, lunch was good but your brother did ask one or two questions about you.”

“Oh? Like what?”

“How your thesis was going? He said he hadn’t realised that we had weekly meetings to work on it together…”

“…and what did you respond?” a small worry in her voice.

“Well I just said in a very basic matter that it wasn’t actually that frequent and for the most part your ideas seemed quite interesting.”

Relief passed through Sansa as she replied: “Well thank you for that. And also for going along with it…and Friday.” Suddenly her cheeks went a little red as she decided it was time to maybe broach the topic of _them_ head on.

“Sooo… Friday. Have you given any thought about … well um… were you able to think about my….proposition at all?” Sansa responded meekly.

This time, Stannis’s cheeks turned a little red before answering: “Yes, I did. But before I properly give you an answer, could you –hum- maybe give me a more specific description of what your proposition is?”

“We-weelll,… I was thinking that –if you’re up for it that is- that we could pretend to be dating for a few months … and then for some reason or another I tell my friends we realised that we weren’t meant to be and that we broke up amicably…

For the specifics of what we would actually be doing, it would actually help me greatly if you could maybe look over my thesis during some of our –hum- ‘dates’. We might have to on one or two double dates with Margery or Jeyne and whomever they are with at that moment…but for most of the time it would be really to use you as an excuse when I actually would like to be working or doing other stuff… We wouldn’t really need to meet up much. Just maybe be go to art gallery or just a walk in the park and ‘accidently’ bum in some of my friends.”

After a pause, where Stannis was still not commenting, she continued: “I would ask that we keep up the farce for at least till when my thesis is due and my exams are over… I mean Marg or Jeyne are never consciously distracting… but they have the knack of making me feel guilty for working! … anyway what I really asking is when I hid- _working_ in the library, could I pretend to be instead spending time with you, my-hum- boyfriend?”

Once she finished rambling there was a _looonnngg_ pause, leaving Sansa even more worried. She looked at Stannis’s face expectantly. He was clearly going over what she had just said, but apart from that there was no indication of a positive… or negative response.

Finally, he spoke: “Wow well you’ve obviously spent a bit of time thinking about this. It sounds not too bad/ hassling. Hopefully my brothers won’t be too much of a pain … what should we actually say to our families? What should we tell them if they ask?”

“Well for my family, we should probably continue with what I told dad on Friday. Which in a way the truth… well more the truth than what I’m telling Margery and Jeyne. As for your brothers… well maybe the same story as well, seeing as Robert is very close to Dad…but not sure about Renly… he’s always gossiping with Loras, who in turn is always gossiping with Marg and I…maybe let’s just let him make his own mind really.”

“Seems fair enough.”

After another long awkward pause, Sansa shyly said: Well as you seem ok with this… maybe…we should probably share a bit of information about each other… get to actually know each other a tiny bit … in case someone does asks questions…”

 


	8. Stannis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ned : 43  
> Robert: 42  
> Stannis: 32  
> Renly: 28  
> Robb/ Jon/ Loras:25  
> Sansa: 23

 

 

Dinner with Sansa had gone well… more than well actually … there were a few moments during her explanation that Stannis had found himself not really listening but just staring as her lips moved… _what wrong with me? I’m not Robert_! Even when he had been with Seylse or with Meli, he was never this distracted … and he’s not even really with Sansa… they are just … ‘secretly dating’.

They hadn’t really communicated much the rest of the week. She had sent him a message later that evening to thank him for the dinner and agreeing to ‘date’ her. Apart from that she had sent him only one other message on Wednesday, saying that if any Tyrell’s asked, he was with her that evening, and if any Starks asked, they had a thesis meeting that evening, following by her actually sending him her thesis: _The Ruin of the Twins, or Revenge of the North_?

It was now Sunday, and Stannis was on a sailboat- _Golden Rose_ \- but not with the Stark he was currently thinking about. They had arrived at Highgarden late Friday evening, and had left the next morning down the Mander to reach the sea. Since Wednesday he had received no communication from Sansa, and for some reason that bothered him.

 

“So Stannis, how long have you been sailing for?” Asked Robb, bringing him back to today.

“Since I was a child. Robert and I use to sail with our parents. School holidays were split between sailing or hunting.”

A bit outside of the estuary the wind had calmed drastically, so the men decided to have a brake and enjoy the sun and have lunch on deck.

They continued to chat about different things, mainly the younger crowd, talking about things they did outside of work. Loras at one point asked:

“So, it is true that the shy Jon Snow has finally found someone worthy of his time?”

Jon just blushed, while Robb responded: “Haha, yea her name is Ygritte and she nearly took Jon’s eye out! We were at the paint-balling range going against the ‘Wilding’ crew, when suddenly this girl jumped right in front of him, and he was so shocked that he just stood there, as she shot him.

Loras grinned: “Haha blinded by an angel?”

Jon, blushing furiously, whispered: “something like that…”

Davos, who felt a bit sorry for the guy said: “Don’t worry son, the first time I met Mary was when she hit me over the head for having tried to steal the onions from her garden... hell of a first date though.”

Robb suddenly turned to Stannis with a curious expression: “What about you Stannis? _Any one_ interesting in _your_ life?”

Davos who was oblivious to any of the gossip that had happened the previous week responded: “Highly unlikely, he’s married to the work ever since… hum… well any way whatever time he doesn’t spend at the office he spends at the university… it like a second home to him… the office being his first.”

_Great Davos, why don’t you just say I’m Sansa Stark’s ‘personal tutor’ while you’re at it_!- Stannis could of killed him right then, but was stopped by the intrigued looks not only Robb was giving him, but Loras and Jon as well.

Finally, Renly spoke up: “Yea he’s always either seeing Professor Stark or me. Does loads of guest lecturing for the both of us… really helpful. Ned is always saying that it’s a shame that Stan went to work with Robert, could have been an amazing Professor: much better than that creep Pete Baelish anyway…”

With that the topic tuned to Petyr Baelish, Loras being convinced that he secretly owned a strip club in the city called the _Littlefinger_.

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

They had finally reached the Shield Islands, and were settling in their respective rooms when Renly came into Stannis’s room, whilst he was finishing putting things in his drawers.

“Hey man, how’s it going?”

“Good, you? Not too tired from the sailing?”

“Naa I’m good … Loras and I were thinking of maybe having a walk down the beach… Need help un-packing?”

“I’m alright, nearly done.”

“Got any news from old bro?”

“Not since Monday when he accosted me …”

“Ohhhh the whole Sansa scoop… Can’t believe you never told me about her: I’m your brother and I had to find out about it through Margaery!”

“Like you told me about Loras?” – Stannis quickly realised his mistake when he saw Renly slowly smile.

“So there is something between you and Sansa, haha I knew it!” said Renly victoriously. Looking up at Stannis whose face was now a furious red, he chided: “Come on you have to tell me now, especially since I saved you from her brother.”

“Yea only after you forced me to accept his invitation! Don’t pretend I don’t know it was you and Loras who convinced Robb and Jon to come, and for them to invite me.”

Renly blushed guiltily but responded as if nothing was amiss: “Come on Stannis – I’ve been worried about you, especially since you know… well anyway…and then when last week Marg ran up to Loras and I at the party to ask us if we knew about you and Sansa I was actually relieved.”

“Relieved?”

“Well, she is a lovely girl… maybe a little young for you but she seems like she could be good for you. Before your work and your self-guilt kills you, that is. - She is definitely much better than that crazy red bitch! In any case, would you rather talk with Bert about it? Really? … He still thinks me and Marg are dating! Ha! Come on, I could tell you all about Loras and I, and I’ll give you advice about it, cos the gods know you probably need it.”

“I’d rather not know any details about you Loras and you thanks. As for advise… what do you mean I need advice?”

“Well come on: you’re you… and Sansa is, well you know, Sansa Stark!”

“Yes, I’m Stannis and she’s Sansa, nothing new…” Stannis retorted, feeling confused and a little insulted.

“Well you know… you’re a broody old man- well 32 year old, sorry- who’s always into his work, and well, she’s Ned Stark’s gorgeous 23 year old daughter- the Maiden reborn!…. I mean she use to go out with our little shit nephew! ... pretty sure she had a crush on Loras, before she found out he was gay.”

Stannis, who was now actually irritated: “So, what are you saying? That I’m too grumpy and boring for her? Not pretty enough?”

“No … it’s just that you can maybe not be the best… courteous guy… maybe a bit too blunt… I mean it’s not really your fault with the whole Selyse-Melisandre thing but …you need to cheer up man, if you are actually serious about Sansa, you need to show her you care … be a bit more ‘knight in shining armour’ and less grumpy ‘lord stuck in his castle’… but I don’t know, from what Marg says, you’ve guys have been at it for three months, so you must be doing something right… ha-ha Loras is convinced you have some weird bedroom thing, to keep her ‘entertained’. Nearly killed him when he suggested switching brothers to find out.”

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Sunday evening and all of Monday, Davos and him had been busy with work, getting ready for meetings the next day that any though about Sansa was forgotten. On Tuesday, Davos and him took the day to return to the main land to go over some proposal at the Highgarden headquarters, leaving the younger men to do whatever young men do.

The morning meeting between Olenna Tyrell and Stannis had gone well, Stannis had been more than happy to deal with her and not her foolish son. By mid-afternoon, Stannis wandered to the pool side of the huge Tyrell mansion. Reading through his briefs, he waited for Davos to return. As he drank is iced tea by the pool, he noticed a pair of legs stretched out on a lounge chair, at the other end of the pool. He was facing the pool but could only see the legs and not the rest of the body. One leg was bent and the other was straight out on the lounge chair. They were definitely a pair of very long – _very sexy_ \- legs. _Gosh- I’m definitely becoming like Robert, Fuck sake_!

“Hey Stan, sorry to keep you- meeting with Willas run over. How was the ‘Queen of Thorns’?” said Davos, as he sat down facing Stannis, partially blocking his view.

“It went well. We had a few issues about…” The conversation continued for another good half hour, when suddenly something behind Davos caught his attention. Two things happened at once. The woman rolled over and another guest moved a chair that had been blocking his view. And his heart beat accelerated. Now that she was lying on her stomach, he saw the sexy legs continue to a lovely derriere.

“So you think this will work in other areas of the company?” Stannis asked, after taking long swallow of his iced tea, and forcing his attention to what his friend was saying.

“I think it could be applied to several of the other offices but maybe not in the manufacturing branches”, he replied and continued on with his explanation.

Stannis tried to focus. Davos was going over the financial details and all Stannis could do was nod in feigned understanding.

The woman was either asleep or reading something very interesting because she didn’t move in any way the whole time he watched her.

Davos continued an as if Stannis was paying complete attention. Stannis on the other hand, leaned more to the right to see if he could get a glimpse of the body attached to those legs. But nothing worked. – _Please God let it not be Cersei-_ was his only passing thought. Stannis took a sip of his iced tea and hoped Davos didn’t notice his eyes straying or his lack of concentration. Hopefully his sunglasses hid his eye movements.

Realising that he was straining his neck to get a better view of the woman, Stannis leaned forward, using Davos to block his view. He was embarrassed that he was so unfocused . – _I’m not Robert for Fuck sake_! Usually when he was at work his whole mind was there as well.

“One more question”, asked Davos.

Stannis nodded his head in inquiry.

“What’s so fascinating behind me that you’ve just agreed to spend a billion Dragons implementing something you have no understanding of?”

Stannis coughed some of the drink he was swallowing. Coughing a few more times, he finally replied “I’m sorry… I’m a little distracted.” Hoping the older man wouldn’t turn around and see the sunbathing beauty.

“Can I look?”

Stannis shook his head: “It’s just some kids playing. How about if we get out of this heat and continue our discussion inside?”

Davos nodded: “Sure, sure.” As they both stood up to get back indoors, Davos couldn’t contain his curiosity and turned his head to the pool. After obviously noticing the lack of children and instead the beautiful creature, Davos tuned back his head to Stannis with a sceptical look.

“Kids hun?”

Stannis ignored him, and continued to walk inside towards one of the tables. As they both sat down, Stannis noticed that his friend’s face had still the same look.

“I’m not judging Stannis, it’s just that it surprises me a tiny bit. I mean if it was Robert fine, but you- from what I remember only Melisandre had some effect on you.” Stannis glared at Davos at the mention of that name, but didn’t reply.

His friend shifted uncomfortably in his seat before responding: “There’s actually something I wanted to ask you abo-“

His friend was suddenly interrupted by an excited cry behind them.

“Stannis?... _Stannis_! What are you doing here?”

They both turned to see Margery Tyrell, followed by Roslin Frey, walking towards them. Even though Stannis had no desire to talk to them, good manners forced him to stand up, especially since they were technically in Margery’s house.

“Miss Tyrell. Miss Frey. How nice to see you both. Have you met Mr Seaworth? He is one of my business partners, helping me in the Storm’s End Branch.”

“Charmed.” Davos replied with a small head tilt.

Both women smiled at him kindly, before Margery turned her attention back to Stannis, with a mischievous smile that Stannis didn’t like one bit.

“Oh of course! That little minx, can’t believe she’s still keeping secrets from me!”

Both Stannis and Davos looked at her confused, while Roslin giggled behind Margery.

“Oh come on Stan, don’t play coy with me! I can’t believe San didn’t tell me you guys were meeting up during the week.” Margery half-reproached him.

_San? … playing coy? What am I missing now_?

“Well now that the charade has been revealed might as well go and properly say hello to your lady-love instead of eyeing her from over here.”

With that Margery started walking to the sliding doors, inviting the two very confused men to follow.

“Well come on then, I’m sure San can’t wait to spend a bit more time with you.”

Stannis slowly started walking towards to patio, still very lost, Davos right behind him, eyeing him questioningly.

As the men slowly followed the two young women outside. Stannis saw Margery go to the sunbathing beauty he had eyed earlier. After a few seconds, the woman in the chair sat up, clearly exchanging a few words with the Tyrell girl, but Stannis still couldn’t see her face as she was wearing a large hat covering her head. Suddenly the figure that was sitting turned her head, and stopped to look straight at him.

Stannis felt his heart skip a beat when his dark blue eyes linked directly with Sansa Starks’s Tully blue ones.

 

%MCEPASTEBIN%


	9. Sansa

 

The last few days had been fun: Margery, Roslin and her had gone to the Tyrell house- or more like mansion- and had spent most of their days shopping, swimming in the large pool, or going for drinks in the evening. It was a good break from King’s University and the drama linked to her life at home. However, Sansa couldn’t help but think about one of the things of her life back home: Stannis Baratheon.

During their ‘date’, after going over the awkward details of their ‘relationship’, Sansa felt like they actually had some fun. He had told her about his university experience, his relationship with his brothers, and she had gone on about living with Margery and Jeyne, growing up in the same house as Robb and Arya. It had gone so well that they had stayed till closing and then he had walked her home. In a way Sansa thought it could have been seen as an amazing first date. But since then, Sansa hasn’t received any news from Stannis.

Well for apart for very short replies to her messages. Sansa wouldn’t really count: ‘ ** _Enjoyable evening. Glad I could help.’_** and **_‘Will do. Will read thesis and send comments soon.’_** as great communication. - His replies are so dry, and to the point. This shouldn’t bother her, especially since he wasn’t _really_ her boyfriend, but it did.

_Gosh Sansa, he’s a grown man with his own life and job! Don’t think he’s some ridiculous teenager who’s going to hold your hand! He doesn’t have time for silly girls and their stupid games! You asked him for a favour and he has more than lived up to it_!

Sansa was so into her thoughts that she doesn’t even notice Margery come into the room.

“San-san, wanna go out shopping? Roslin and I were thinking of going down to High Rose Avenue, and get some new dresses for the fireworks on Saturday.”

“No, I’m good thanks, thinking of continuing on my work a bit. Haven’t done any of it since last week.”

“Yea that’s because we’re on h-o-l-i-d-a-y! Come on San, its only Monday! Plus half the time we’ve been here you’ve been sulking about Stannis. What’s going on there by the way? thought everything was fine between you two? Not that you’re telling me much anyway.”

“I have not. Everything is fine. _We’re fine_.” Sansa said, feeling like a petulant kid.

“Really, what would you call looking at your phone every hour since Friday then?”

Not wishing to go into an argument she knows she’ll loose, Sansa frustratingly sighed: “Fine I’ll come, just give me a minute to change. But tomorrow I’ll have to do some work… No excuses!”

“Hehe I knew I could convince you. Yes you can be boring tomorrow, but your all mine today haha.” Margaery replied with a grin, before leaving her friend to change.

 

 

The next morning, while Margery and Rosling met up with a few other friends to go horseback riding, Sansa dove back into her work. She finished through her Economy Evaluation, and typed up her notes on further research she had done for her thesis, and by lunch she called it quits. After a quick sandwich, she decided to pull on her bathing suit and take a dip in the pool. She brought a few of her books to read, and a big floppy straw hat to protect her face.

After a few strokes in the pool, she lay on one of the long chairs, and started reading about the _Great Rebellion_. However, after the first few pages, her eyes were so were so heavy, she could barely hold the book. So she laid it down beside her, pulled her hat down lower, and almost instantly fell asleep, thinking of dark blue eyes.

 

 

“So this is what you meant by working today?”

Sansa lifted her head and looked around, trying to get her bearings. Looking up, she saw Margery standing next to her with a wicked grin.

“Soooo, how’s the thesis going?

Sansa still getting out of her nap, and a little confused about the strange tone of her friend’s interrogation, answered a little wearily: “Fine… was able to finish Eco as well.”

“Get any morning private tutoring?”

Now even more confused, Sansa blurted: “Sorry?”

Margery now exasperated by her friend’s answers, said: “Come on Sansa, you been caught! Though I must say Stannis is quite the actor, didn’t even blink or twitch when I talked to him.”

_Shit, she’s found out I lied to her! Fuck! Oh, well. There goes my fake relationship… What are you going to do to me Margery Tyrell_?

“Well I’m sorry Marg, but come on, I didn’t want to say anything since we wer-“

“Sansa sweety you don’t have to explain anything. I totally understand that you want to spend time with your man. Especially with no Starks around. Though I don’t understand why you felt like you still had to try and hide it from me? I could have helped: gave you guys a romantic evening together!”

_Romantic evening? What the? Wait, what is she talking about_?

Margery looking at Sansa’s confused face, continued: “Oh come on Sansa, I caught you red-handed! You and Stan!” pointing to someone or something behind Sansa.

Turning around still disoriented, Sansa’s heart started beating faster as her stare met with that of an equally confused Stannis.

_Stannis! Stannis is here… and he’s walking towards me_ … _Gosh and I probably look like shit! My hair is still wet and muddled from the swimming… Oh why did I go for a swim_?... _WFT! Why do I care? It’s not like he’s my actual boyfriend!... Just act normal_!

Still with the inner battle going on in her head, Sansa slowly stood up – more like staggered up- and looked up to Stannis who was just reaching her. Quickly remembering that Margery was right behind her, Sansa put on a bright smile and slowly met him, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

“Hi sweety. How is everything? Why didn’t you tell me you were here?”

_Gosh, he smells nice… like the sea… looks nice too… rested… did he look like this last Monday? Did he get a tan?... Duh, he’s been on holiday… with Robb… shit where’s Robb_?!

Suddenly the thought of her ‘boyfriend’, her brother and her in the same place did not feel like a good idea, and Sansa’s eyes started darting around her.

“Everything alright Sansa?” rasps Stannis- maybe just acting like the caring boyfriend?

Turning back to him, Sansa gives him a sweet smile and says: “Everything is fine. Yea of course, was just wondering where the rest of the crew were: I thought quite a few of you had gone sailing down to the Shield Islands?”

Probably sensing that she was worried about bumping into her brother, Stannis quickly responded: “Ah, yea we did- we are. It’s just that Davos and I had some meetings this morning with the Highgarden Branch. Loras, Renly, Robb and Jon are still on the main island. We’re flying back this afternoon actually.”

At the mention of the name, Sansa notices the older man slowly coming towards them. His face is unreadable, but Sansa doesn’t quite like how his eyes are slowly going between Stannis and Sansa.

“Oh hello Mr Seaworth, how are you? Stannis was just telling me that you had business meetings this morning?”

Margery who had been standing behind Sansa the whole time, trying to get clues about the ‘lovers’ interaction, intervened: “Oh come on Sansa! Davos is Stannis’s best friend! Everyone here knows about you two. No need to be shy around us, we’re all friends.”

Clearly from the look Davos now gave Margery, then Stannis and her, he hadn’t known anything about her ‘relationship’ with his friend. However, Margery seems oblivious to this and tried to usher everyone to sit down at one of the nearby tables. However, Stannis politely responded:

“I’m sorry Miss Margery but Davos and I have a plane at four and if we are to catch it, we should probably start heading to the airport very soon.

“Ohh, what a shame. Well you are welcome to stay the night and get a flight tomorrow?”

“No, thank you very much for the offer, but I wouldn’t want to be rude to your brother, and Robb and Jon. They did invite us, and we did already take a day away from them. It would be rude to extend it any longer. Enjoy the rest of your day.” And with that, the two men quickly departed before Margery could respond.

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Sansa is in her room, cleaning up some of her stuff, when she hears Margery coming in.

“Sansa, there you are! Guess what: you going to loooovvveee meee!”

Suddenly scared to where this is going, Sansa turns to meet her friend face to face: “What have you done?”

“Oh come on, I did this for you: I promise you’ll love it.”

“Like I ‘loved’ the mini inquisition you tried to start this afternoon?”

“Oh come, that was because you have refused to give me any real information about you two.”

_That’s because there is none to give_!

“Fine. What’s this new favour you did for me now?”

“Weelll… You know how Ros and your brother have been on and off again, right? Well I convinced her to call him up, so that they could do a ‘romantic’ week together.”

“But Robb and Jon are at Shield Island with your brother and-“

“-I know dummy, but not anymore! Haha! Roslin is always so good at convincing Robb to do things. Any way, it’s not like he is against her ‘taking advantage’ of him, if you know what I mean.” Margery added with a cheeky grin. “Anyway, what’s even better is that apparently Jon has a hot new girlfriend as well…soooo , they have both left the island! That means we can join the others there! Isn’t that great: you get to spend time with your own lover-man, whilst I get to flirt with the locals without dad finding out! I knew you’d love it, you owe me big time!”

Margery is so happy with her plan, dancing around the room, starting to select things for their new trip that she doesn’t even see the look of utter shock on Sansa’s face.

 

_Fucckkkk! Well Karma is a bitch_!

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

In the end Margery gets her way and they are able to borrow the Tyrell private jet to join the boys on the island. From the small airport, there is only a twenty minute drive to the cottage. Once they get to the small beach cottage, Sansa couln’t help but be in awe: it was beautiful, the whole scenery was gorgeous. It was probably around 10-11 at night and the sun was no longer visible, but the shadows it left in the sky, and on the waves below were breathtaking.

The cottage itself was just off the beach, with a long patio leading down to it. Inside there is a main area, with an open plan kitchen at one end. Apart from large sliding doors leading to the back patio, there are four other doors, leading probably to bedrooms.

“Gosh this is amazing!” Sansa heard Margery saying behind her.

“Ok, you were right, this is pretty cool. But where are the others? You did tell them we were coming Marg, right?” Sansa suddenly getting a tiny bit worried.

“Of Course I did”, Margery shrugs. “They are probably all outside having a swim or something. Come on let’s put our stuff down.”

Wandering round the room, Margery went for one of the bedroom doors that was partially open: “Oh this one seems to be my room.”

“Don’t you mean our room?”

“Oh Come on sweety, your sharing a room with your man-Stan!”

 

_Oh yea, greaaatttt. Wander what he’ll think of the arrangement_.

 

Seeing Sansa’s less than excited response to the comment, Margery walks back towards her, and nudges her to another one of the rooms. “Well come on girl, let’s find your room.”

And with that she quickly knocks at the door.

“Yes?” Comes from inside.

Opening, Margery pops her head in, facing Davos: “Oh hi Dav, how are you?”

“Miss Tyrell. Hello again, I didn’t realise you would be joining us? I guess that explains why Jon and Robb left.”

“Of course we were going to join you guys. Didn’t Loras, and Ren tell you: Sansa and I are staying here the rest of the week. Isn’t that great?”

Clearly the look Sansa noticed on Davos’s face he wouldn’t really call the situation ‘great’.

“Anyway, Sansa was wondering which room is Stan’s?”

 

_Ohh for fuck sake Marg, can you not say everything you are thinking?_!

 

Sansa can’t help but blush as Davos quietly turns his gaze towards her. “Hello Davos. Having a nice evening?”

“Very nice Miss Stark.”

Margery interjects: “Oh come on Davos, we’re all friend here: you can call us by our first names!... Any waaaay, Sansa would like to find her room.” Turning to Sansa, Margery continues: “Weren’t you saying how you wanted to put your stuff down and freshen up a bit?”

_Oh my by the Gods Margery Tyrell: I am going to KILL YOU_!!!

Davos, obviously not wanting to be rude, replies with a small smile: “Of course, Miss Ty-Margery. Miss Sansa, Stannis’s room is just to your left.”

Margery quickly responds: “Thank you very much Davos, we’ll leave you to your evening then.” And with that she quickly shuts the door, and turns back to Sansa with a grin.

 

_Greeeeat_.

 

“Well come on sweet Sansa: your man awaits.” And Margery quickly rushes off to the room Davos indicated, and knocks.

“Margery! Wait!” Sansa rushing right behind her.

“Oh don’t worry. In any case, no one is answering. Let’s open, shall we?”

“Marg, no-“

But before she can finish, Margery slowly opens the door, and pops her head in.

“No one inside.” Taking a few steps in, she drags Sansa by the arm to follow behind her.

“Wow this guy is tiddy- no wonder you like him. He seems as well-ordered as you.”

Sansa, walking a tiny bit more into the room, whispers: “Margery, we shouldn’t be in here!”

“Correction, I shouldn’t be in here, but you should!” Margery pulls her friend fully into the middle of the room, and before she can protest, Margery quickly goes back grabs Sansa’s bag, pushes it in and closes the door, leaving Sansa alone in the room.

 

_OH this is juuuusssttt perfect! Remind me why I’m friends with her_?

 

After a few minutes of not knowing what to do, Sansa starts looking around. Everything seems in its place. The bed is done. There are a few papers on the table, but they are all stacked up in clear, clean piles. The window is open, letting a bit of breeze and the sound of waves into the room. Sansa welcomes the small breeze, helping her clear her mind a bit.

She finally decides to go to the closet with her bag so that she can at least unpack. Going through the double doors, she is welcome to a small walking closet, with a few suits and shirts hanging at one end. Just as Sansa’s finished a first scope of the closet, she hears a door open.

_Shit!... what does Marg want now_?

As she is about to open the closet doors once more and make herself known, when she notices the figure on the other side: Stannis in a towel and nothing but a towel. Sansa quickly realises that he must have come from the Ensuite bathroom, she had been in some kind of awe-trans of the view and room that she hadn’t noticed someone was in the bathroom.

_Shit! What do I do now? Can’t really go back out, he’ll think I’m a closet-creep_!

As she’s trying to come up with a plan, her heart thumping, Sansa leans forward, and brings her eyes to the slit between the two doors. She notices Stannis once more, as he is moving across the room - _yep with just a towel around his waist_ \- _Damn_!.

His dark hair is wet, with a few drops that run slowly down his neck. Sansa tries not to ogle but his bare chest is hard to ignore. He’s definitely not bulky, but he is definitely all muscle: broad shoulders, and a chiseled waist.

_If I was his real girlfriend I could be in there, running my hand down those smooth muscles. I could_ -

Jerking back from the door slit, Sansa is horrified at her thoughts. Still her will power bends once more, and Sansa can’t help but move her eye back to the view.

He wanders to the cabinet at the side of the room and pulls out a bottle of amber liquid. Sansa watches every movement, holding her breath, scared of making a sound, as he pours himself a glass. He takes it down in one swig, and pours himself another one. After letting out a long sigh, he runs his hand through his hair.

_Ok, the guy is attractive. Fine, I’ll give him that. But why does he hide his bod in those boring suits that give him no value? And why is he always so broody_? – _Maybe he does work too much_? _And can’t blame a guy for having no sense of style_ …

Stannis is still standing next to the sideboard, his hand on his glass. His shoulders are tense, muscles tight, and his eyes are focused on some invisible object.

_…I could go in there, help him relax? - I mean, I am, to some extent, his girlfriend… Gosh Sansa! Control yourself, it’s not because you haven’t had any since Jof that you should jump the first guy who you are pretending to be dating_!

After a moment he turns and moves back to the bed, glass in hand. He puts the drink on the nightstand and takes out a few files from his satchel- _Damn, he does work too much_.

Stannis sits on the bed, and starts opening one of the files.

After a few moments, Sansa shifts her feet, trying to find a more comfortable position. No luck. Deciding to take the pressure off one of her feet, she lifts her left foot, trying to balance on her right. Suddenly she loses all balance and falls forward! In a matter of seconds Sansa lets out a yelp, and then finds herself sprawled out in front of the closet doors.

_Fuuuucckkkkkkkkk_!

As Sansa looks up, she sees Stannis staring at her as if he’s seen a ghost. Feeling like her heart is about to leap out of her throat, Sansa just stares.

 

%MCEPASTEBIN%


	10. Stannis

 

Stannis had known Davos a long time- Hell he considered Davos more an older brother than Robert had ever been- he was the guy Stannis went to for advise, or help.

He had witnessed Davos in a fury, laughing, crying, yelling… He had dealt with angry Davos, sad Davos, tired Davos, depressed Davos, Davos complaining about his wife and kids…Davos irritated with work, ‘pissed of at the Lannister’s’ Davos…But this Davos was new. In the decade they had known each other, he had yet to know Davos like this. Since they had left the Tyrell Mansion, Davos had been this new eerie ‘don’t-have-a-clue-what-is-in-his-mind’ quiet.

Just as they were about to arrive at the cottage, Stannis couldn’t take it anymore, and abruptly stopped the car.

“It’s not what it looks like.”

Davos stayed silent.

Stannis exasperated exclaimed: “Say something!”

“There is nothing to say.”

“Davos you are my work colleague, and about all else you are my closest friend. In the last ten years you have always spoken your mind – even when I didn’t want to hear it. The fact that you haven’t said anything for the last couple of hours means that there is plenty you want to say.”

After a long breathe Davos sighed out: “All of last week you have seemed distracted, looking at your phone , staying even later than usual at the office, hiding from Robert even more, or from everyone else for that matter… glaring out your office door every time a pin in dropped in the corridor. Then today, I catch you not only distracted but ogling a young lady sunbathing.”

After another pause, where Davos pinched the ridge of his nose, he this time raised his voice, and turned himself to face Stannis directly: “When, exactly, were you going to tell me the lady you were spying was none other than Sansa Stark: Eddard Stark’s daughter! and to make matters worse, from the look of things, you two seem pretty close, some would say maybe a bit too close! … Gods, I know you are Robert’s brother and he probably is not the best influence when it comes to women, but seriously Stan: she’s what 22-23? … For all the Gods old and new, she’s Ned’s daughter!”

Not knowing what else to say, Stannis replied: “That’s what Robert said.”

“Robert knows! For all the seven …and I thought it couldn’t get any worse.”

“It’s not what it looks like.”

“So you keep on repeating … Well I really hope so, because from here, it looks like by next week your head with be the new addition to Eddard’s hunting room. – Do you remember the last time we saw Ned Stark angry! Because I’m pretty sure neither Walder Frey nor Roose Bolton have.”

Stannis, finally getting a bit irritated by Davos’s ranting, called out: “Davos listen to me: I am not seeing Sansa Stark! .... at least not in the way you seem to be convinced I am.”

“Fine. Explain then your relationship with Eddard Starks’ daughter.” - Fuck, when Davos said it, all his dreams of Sansa sounded ten times worse.

Taking a long breathe, Stan explained the whole incident at the party. He even told him about the whole Cersei- Jaime meeting and then the duo- father- brother bash. Once Stannis clarified the whole arrangement he had agreed with Sansa, the car was quiet once more, Davos looking at Stannis sceptically without responding.

After the silence drew on for another few minutes, Stannis finally said:

“Well… what do you think…? I mean, I know it’s crazy, but you know one of the reasons I agreed was well because of the help I had received from you during the whole Melisandre fiasco…and that was ten times more fucked up.”

“Haha gosh Stan… you do seem to attract the strangest situations… well, I don’t know what to say. I mean I’ll definitely keep it to myself, but do you really think this is a good idea? I’m sure Miss Stark is a nice young lady, but is this really worth all this effort? Surely she could explain to Miss Tyrell-“

“-Davos you know the Tyrell’s: they are sometimes worse than even Cersei and her father. Hell, I wish I had the same excuse sometimes, just so Robert would leave me alone.”

“Fair point- well if you think you have it handled… who am I to judge…but what was the whole incident by the pool then?”

Stannis blushed a bit as he responded: “Would you believe me if I told you I no idea it was her?”

Davos looked at him surprised: “You didn’t?!”

“Honestly no, I was just as surprised as you, or maybe even mor-“

Suddenly there was a tap at the car window, making them both jump. Robb Stark was looking in:

“Are you two alright?”

Davos opened the passenger door, to finally get out: “Course, just were discussing a particular enticing merger”, he finished with a smirk.

_A particular enticing merger?!- seriously D!_

Robb looked from one to the other, still as confused: “Okay… well we were wondering what had you two half yelling at each other for the last 10 minutes.”

As Stannis walked out and around the car, he noticed Jon loading a pair of suitcases into one of the rentals. Looking up sceptically at Robb: “Someone leaving?”

Robb, blushing a tiny bit, awkwardly said: “yea Jon and I were going to meet up with … well hum… there are is a couples of people we have to see back on the mainland. I’m sorry guys, it was an unexpected surprise… I mean… I received an unexpected call.”

“Nothing serious I hope?”

Robb, who was now nearly as red as his hair, stammered: “No, no, don’t worry, everything is fine … just a certain situation I – hum, we- need to take care of, and listen, I wanted to apologise … the weekend was really great, and would be great if we can all go out sometime next week, to make up for leaving you guys the rest of the week?”

“Of course Robb, don’t worry about it. We all have obligations.”

 

Once Robb and Jon’s car was out of sight, Stannis asked Davos: “Was it just me, or was there something he didn’t want to tell us?”

“Well, if it was the case, he wouldn’t be the only one to hide something…”

 

 

Apparently Renly and Loras had decided to go to the local village for the day and wouldn’t be till much later. Taking advantage of this, Stannis and Davos spent the rest of the evening looking over files in the main living area. After they had a relaxing dinner where they enjoyed talking about their shared past. As the sun set on the horizon, they both decided to call it a night and Stannis headed to his room.

In his room, he poured himself a brandy, needing the fire to burn his throat. Stannis was thankful that Davos seemed to have dropped the whole ‘Sansa’ subject. However if he was truthful to himself, him knew that ever since the kiss she had placed on his cheek that morning that Sansa had been on the foreground of his mind. Hell, ever since he had brushed her auburn hair from the dress he had stained, a week ago, she had been in the focus of his mind.

After taking a long cold shower, he came back to the room hoping to relax. He downed another brandy, before sitting down in bed, pulling out reports and forcing himself to review them and push Sansa from his mind as best he could.

However it seemed that was an impossible task as, a few seconds later, a yelp and thud from across the room brought his gaze upward making Stannis’s heart stop.

There in front of him was Sansa, all spread out on the floor. Her form was spread out in a way that made it obvious that she had fallen. She was on her stomach, her hair splayed out around her, her hands in front of her, and her dress was lifted, revealing her lovely long legs – thoughts of her spread over somewhere a little less appropriate popped into his mind.

_Stop it Stannis- Don’t even go there_!

 

Suddenly the bedroom door swept open.

“Gods Sansa, did you trip and fall on your face again?”

Margery was just about to pass the threshold, when she noticed the scene presented in front of her: she quickly looked from Stannis on the bed- near nude- to Sansa on the floor in front of the closet doors.

“Oh Stan, did realise you were in… I see Sansa is unpacking…. Well, I’ll leave you two to it… sorry for the interruption.” And with that she closed the door, but not before Stannis noted the grin she gave her auburn friend.

 

Once the door clicks, suddenly the world inside the room seemed to be move again, and Stannis got off the bed and went to reach for Sansa.

“Ummm …Sansa… are you ok?... did you hurt yourself?”

Her cheeks fully red, Sansa slowly lifted her arms.

“No…no, I’m fine… sorry was in the closet… unpacking… then I tripped.”

Stannis looked over her shoulder to see a bag that was clearly not his in the middle of the closet, but that didn’t seem to be open. Skipping over the though, he returned his attention back to the auburn beauty kneeling in front of him.

_\- Not a good position, need to think of something else_.

Helping her stand back up, Stannis questioned her a second time:

“…ok…umm, Sansa can I ask why you were in my closet to begin with?”

Blushing furiously once more, Sansa slowly answered:

“Well I didn’t realise you were in… I mean … urgg.. Marg and I just arrived and then Marg asked Mr Davos which room was yours… and then she pushed me in… and well I didn’t know how to really tell her that I shouldn’t be in the same room as you…. So then, since you weren’t in the room, I decided: might as well unpack… “

After a long pause, Sansa still looking down, Stannis decided to speak:

“Sooo… Miss Margery and you are staying at the cottage a few days?”

Sansa looked up to look at Stannis’s face, and sighed: “Uurrggg – yea…. Gods I knew she was lying when she told me that you all knew… and it was clear on Davos’s face. Damn it! I knew this was a bad idea. I’m soo sorry Stannis, I tried to get out of this… I really did but … well… as you can see didn’t really turn out like I had planned… gosh I’m sorry I’m making your life a mess.”

“No its fine… well I suppose I’ll let you unpack… I’ll get an extra blanket and set up a place on the floor for myself.”

“Ohh noo Stannis, I should sleep on the floor: this is your room. Besides, I’m the one creating such a mess of things.”

“Seriously Sansa don’t worry about it, I’m fine. I’m use to sleeping more or less anywhere: on my office coach, in the woods, on a boat…”

“Ok then.”

After a pause, Stannis realised he was still holding Sansa’s arms, and that he was still basically naked with just a towel.

“Hum.. Well I’ll just going to… the closet.. for something…” his cheeks turning red, Stannis let go of Sansa and passed behind her to get a shirt and sweatpants from the closet. Unfortunately as he walked in, he forgot about the new suitcase, and tripped over it and fell forward.

A small gasp behind him made him realise that, with the fall, his towel had freed its self, and he was now butt-naked.

He quickly grabbed the towel from the floor, and covered himself to then turn around to close the doors of the closet, but not before he noticed that even though Sansa had looked away, the sidse of her face showed that she was as red as a tomato.

When Stannis came back out in sweats, with the extra blanket, he noticed that no one was in the room, but the door to the bathroom was closed. Not wanting to see Sansa’s face or the possibility of her coming out in only a towel, Stannis quickly made a make-shift bed on the floor, and laid face down on to it. Before closing his eyes, Stannis quickly looked at his phone and noticed a new message from Davos.

**_Your not-girlfriend is here with her friend._ **

_Thanks D for the heads up- gosh he’s going to have my ass in the morning._

 

 

The sound of sobs woke him from his sleep.

After a few minutes remembering why he was on the floor, Stannis stood up and went to the bed to see what was wrong. Stannis found Sansa thrashing around, frantically clawing the air and gasping for breath.

_Oh my_ …

Not knowing what else to do, Stannis reached down carefully, and slowly started stroking her hair, as his other arm slowly tried to shake her shoulder.

“Sansa, … sansa…wake up… it’s only a dream… “

After a few more reassuring whispers, he stopped, only to rub her arms, as the dream faded and Sansa opened her eyes, with a few tears running down her face.

“Sansa… you’re ok… you are safe… it was only a nightmare.”

After looking up at him, Sansa reached for Stannis, pulling him to hold her in a protective embrace. Once fully in his arms, Sansa continued to shake a bit, but for the most part seemed to have calmed down and returned to the present.

After a few moments of continuing to stroke her hair, Stannis whispered: “Are you better? … Do you want anything? A glass of water?”

Sansa gave him a small nod.

After coming back from the bathroom and handing her the cool beverage, Stannis sat down next to her and held her hand.

“Better?... do … do you want to talk about?”

After a long pause, Sansa slowly stakes her head ‘no’.

Slowly she opened her mouth: “Thank you Stannis,… sorry… this sometimes happens… especially when I’m in a new place…I should have warned you… Gosh you must think I’m a nut case…”

Squeezing her hand, he replied with a small reassuring smile: “Don’t worry about it… everyone has their demons… are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

“Yea… thank you though”, as she slowly lay back down. Stannis stood back up, ready to reach back down to his covers on the floor, when Sansa’s voice broke the silence:

“Stannis?”

He turned back around to see Sansa’s eyes on him: “Would you mind… laying next to me, and… holding my hand please?”

“Of course.”

 


	11. Sansa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had some difficulty writing this chapter but hope it lives up to expectations.

 

As Sansa stretched leisurely in the bed, she felt a warm pillow covering her back. After a few seconds, she realised the pillow was actually Stannis. His arms were wrapped around Sansa’s waist, holding her against his chest. Surprisingly, Sansa didn’t feel suffocated by the gesture, if anything it felt nice, protective. Joffrey – even the ‘before-sweet-Joffrey’ – had never held her like this. When he had held her, it had always felt controlling, imposing.

With a blush she remembered the night before: the images of Stannis. His muscles, his well-defined chest, she forced a giggle back down her throat when she remembered the few seconds she had seen his towel let go of his waist when he had fallen over – what a view it had given her.

Probably as a reaction to the noise from her throat, Stannis’s arm tugged Sansa closer against him.

_GAh_!

Sansa suddenly realised what was nudging her backside. It was warm and solid and Sansa felt her body clenching uselessly, responding automatically to it.

A low rumble escapes his throat as her body pressed closer.

_Fuck sake Sansa, control yourself_!

However, her body didn’t seem to agree and warm need dampened the area between her thighs.

Possibly as a natural reaction to this, Stannis pushed his hips closer again, stealing her breath as Sansa felt every hard ridge of him. His hand moved along her belly, itching its way upward, Sansa still holding her breath, wondered where it would land. Wishful thinking took hold, and Sansa angled her body towards his, wanting to feel his firm hand cup her breast. His fingers splay open and brushed the underside of her breast.

_Sansa… stop being so craven, you’re going to fucking wake him up_!

However his breathing remained even and steady against the back of her neck.

Her devilish side responded: _So what if he wakes up… surely there are a few things we could do to deal with his ‘situation’_ …

In response to the voice, she pressed her bottom back into his hard arousal, and he released a grunt. The sound making her inner muscles clench.

“Sansa?” she heard from behind her ear, his voice sleepy and rough.

_Oh shit_ \- _now he’s going to think I’m some wanton animal that wants to jump him_.

After a few moments, Stannis, realising the current position of different parts of his body compared to her’s, jumped back and fell off the bed onto the floor.

“Gods Sansa… I …hum… I… this… I’m really sorry- it…it’s one of those things that… well, can’t be helped...I…”

Before Sansa had a chance to respond, Stannis ran to the bathroom, leaving Sansa alone and flustered.

 

 

After getting dressed, Stannis was still in the bathroom, so Sansa decided to go have breakfast in the main space. In the living room, both Tyrells were already there.

Margery smiled as Sansa sat next to her: “Sooo, sleep well?”

Remembering the events of the morning, Sansa couldn’t help but blush: “Yes.”

Loras grinned, “I for one had a very stimulating rest.”

Margery continued: “From the look of things so did Miss Sansa… Gosh… San, that body – you never told me what he hid under those boring suits. I mean I always thought he was handsome – maybe not in the same way as Renly [ _giving Loras a quick wink_ ] but still: him in that towel – woo! No wonder you kept him all for yourself for so long. Now you definitely need to tell me more details as to what that man can do with that body…”

“What are you guys talking about?” Renly asked as he joined them at the table.

“Discussing why Sansa kept her little dirty secret for so long …”

“Oh, so does that mean we finally get to find out Stan’s kinky moves?”

“We are not. And really? - he’s your brother!” Sansa said blushing furiously.

“What can I say: if it was Robert, I’d have no interest, that’s one Pandora box no one wants opened. But Stan, come on, everyone’s been curious about what he gets up to after office hours…plus Loras and I have a bet.” Renly replied, making Sansa choke on her piece of toast.

“huh ..huh… You have a bet on your brother’s bedroom activities?”

“Well it’s only a recent bet. We were just wondering what my big brother did to keep you … ‘entertained’.” he winked.

Loras added with a grin: “Yea, it’s always the quiet ones you have to worry about. We were worried about you San… so what is it then? Gonna give us comes clu-“

Sansa was barely holding back on her choking, that she didn’t notice Stannis leaving their bedroom to join the breakfast table.

“Morning everyone…. What’s everyone smiling about?”

Margery turning to him with a smile: “Oh we were just wondering who wanted to go for a morning swim….Why don’t you sit next to Sansa, Stan? She seems to be having trouble with her food, maybe you could help her swallow...”

Moments later, Davos joined them, noticing the Tyrell’s and Renly grinning, Sansa still very red and Stannis very confused. After everyone was seated Margery quickly started up the conversation once more: “So Stannis, Sansa tells us, you go to the gym?...” And thus began the not too subtle Tyrell Interrogation.

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

“You didn’t have to ask him what his intentions regarding me were?”

“Oh, it’s not like you didn’t want to know. I was just doing you a favour.” Margery looked at her friend exasperated.

“Yea but all those questions… really? Did you have to?”

“Well you never give me any real information! Anyway be thankful I didn’t ask him what you guys get up to behind closed doors…”

“That’s none of your business.”

“None of my business! Sansa Stark, as your best friend it is my duty to make sure you have someone worthy of you… in E-v-e-r-y department.”

Margery flipped over on her back before continuing: “… so, are you satisfied in every department?”

Sansa, too embarrassed to answer, got up from her beach towel and ran into the ocean.

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

The rest of the week ended up being one of her best holidays. Most days, they would spend on the large sailboat, with Marg mainly sunbathing, and Renly or Loras encouraging Stannis to show Sansa the different aspects of the sailboat. Sansa also got to know Davos a bit better. He was good company, had interesting things to say, but the older man always seemed quite quiet around her, as if he was trying to decide something about her.

The only two things that did irritate her.

The first was the fact the ‘trio’ seemed to not let Stannis and Sansa have much time apart, and that they wanted to witness as much of it as possible. But in a way, it was nice that, through the forced interaction, Sansa got to know more about her ‘boyfriend’.

In the evenings they usually ended up making the most of the situation, and would hide out in their room, both working on their respective files and course work. Stannis even had some really useful advice about her thesis.

The second annoying thing was that after the awkwardness of their ‘first morning’ waking up together, Stannis refused to sleep in the bed. She knew she should be happy, and grateful that she got the bed to herself, but for some reason most morning she instead seemed to wake up disappointed and frustrated.

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Saturday, the last night before they would return to the mainland, was Aegon the Conqueror Day. The group decided to go to the local village for the celebrations. As the evening progressed Sansa couldn’t help but be blissful: everything was perfect. Both Margery and her wore new dresses, Stannis showed her how to shoot at one of the stands, the men together had been able to win a large stuffed bear in the end, and the meal had been delicious. She was even surprised when Stannis had bought her lemon cakes.

At one point, a band started playing in the square, and Sansa went from one partner to the next, dancing into the night, enjoying herself immensely. The only thing that pinched her a bit was the fact that she was a little disappointed that Stannis had yet to ask her.

Soon, however, Loras was dancing with his sister, and the others were sat on the side watching. Maybe sensing her want, Renly turned to his brother: “Stannis, why don’t you ask your lovely lady to dance?”

As Stannis turned towards her, Sansa smiled at him and took his hand, bringing them to the dance floor before he could respond. Thankfully as they started dancing, he took the lead. Even though Stannis wasn’t the best dancer, Sansa liked the way they moved together. She felt like she was gliding across the floor. Stannis was never hesitant; he didn’t even seem to care if anyone was watching- it was just the two of them.

As he held her, she remembered the morning she had woken up in his arms. - She shivered.

He pulled her imperceptibly closer.

Sansa controlled another shiver when she felt his hand move on her back. She liked being in his arms even though she knew it was a forbidden pleasure. As they moved, she could feel his legs against hers, his hand firmly against the small of her back. She looked up, wondering if he was feeling the same things as her.

The heat in his eyes made her catch her breath. She missed a step but he caught her, bringing her flush against him.

Unable to continue eye contact, she moved her gaze away. But with the movement, the side of his face brushed against her face, and his stubble scratched Sansa’s cheek. Her traitorous body quivered once more.

Probably sensing the movement, a hand cupped her cheek, lifting her head back up. Looking up, dark eyes bored into hers once more, making her skin go hot then cold.

Continuing to stare into her, Stannis slowly moved his hand to the base of her neck. After a few seconds of hesitation, his thumb brushed the skin over her collarbone. Looking into her eyes for any sign, he slowly leaned in. They were so close now; their breaths were sharing the same air. Their noses touched, as he slightly tilted his head. Their lips brushed. Then suddenly Sansa couldn’t take it anymore and she pressed her lips softly but firmly against his.

 


	12. Stannis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The week from Stannis's point of view

 

Stannis entered the room and poured himself a glass of brandy, knowing his body needed something strong.

 

All Stannis had been trying to do was make the best of the situation: relax, enjoy the sea, catch-up on some works files.

To be fair, it had been an great week: he had spent some time with his younger brother and it had actually been nice, the Tyrell duo were actually good to loosen up with, even though they did the occasional inappropriate remark, or asked an crude question. Davos and him had finally resolved certain key issues within several of their contracts. He was able to enjoy sailing for a whole week, and there were no drunken Robert and no Lannister’s to distract or piss him off. It’s as if this island had been cut from the world, from his troubles.

Unfortunately, along with the good came the frustrations. Even if this was maybe ‘paradise’ it had its own version of unattainable temptation: Sansa.

 

_Gods why did I have to do that?…_

 

He wished he hadn’t seen her running in those all too revealing bikinis.

He wished he didn’t remember his body’s reaction to her’s four mornings ago.

He wished he hadn't tasted her sweet mouth moments ago…

 

For the past week, he had been able to keep his space from Sansa only by sheer force of will.

As absent as their physical contact has been, she dominated his days and nights. His schedule revolved around her. Stannis was always too aware of when she would wake up and prepare for the day, shower and move about the room in the morning light.

His mind – and his body- kept on being distracted by Sansa.

 

It didn’t help that the trio would try and create every possible opportunity for them to be placed near each other. Every opportunity there would be a touch, a brush. Even only a casual touching the room while they worked, on the boat while he showed her how to tie the main sail, was pure torture. He felt like a letch at times, when he accidentally touched her as he leaned over a file folder.

To make matters worse, the more he spent time with her, the more fascinated he became with her. She was always the lady, never making inappropriate comments, never responding to the crude japes of the trio. Stannis loved to watch her work, listening to her brainstorm. She also had a certain innocence about her- which meant she was constantly blushing. - _Want I would do to know why she was blushing._

Once they had been working on her thesis, and Stannis had explained a topic that she could go more in depth in her research. In the process of pointing it out, Sansa had leaned over his shoulder. Brushing her chest against him. He could feel the heat from her body through her silk blouse, and he became so disorientated that it had taken him a few seconds to remember what he had been explaining. When he had looked back at her, her cheeks were a seductively rosy, and she had been biting her lower lip.

Even tonight when he showed her how to shoot the balloon target with the fake gun, and he had held her close. It had been pure agony. It pained him to do so because touching her without **_really_** touching her made him plain miserable. He wanted to hold her, touch her body like he had done that fateful morning. But he had forced himself to focus on her, on what they were supposed to be doing. He had covered his hands over her grip around the barrel of the gun and stood behind her. Her back brushing his chest, her bottom nestling against his groin.

He remembered how he had tried to relax, by slowly breathimg. - _Ha! That had been a mistake_.

He had ended up catching nothing but her sweet scent.

 

As Stannis remembered the intoxicating scent of winter roses, he recalled the scene from barely an hour before:

_“Okay, tighten your grip around the barrel”, he said against her ear and his palms along her tensed arms._

_“Good, now relax. Breathe. And then  - fire.”_

_Her breathing quickened as she shifted. She steadied the weapon and tensed against him as she pulled the trigger. The blast forced her body to push against his._

_Out of instinct he grabbed her waist and held her against him. Peering over her shoulder, he chuckled “You blew two balloons with one shot.”_

_They had looked at each other – as if there was just the two of them. He had been about to lean in-_

_“-Yea San that was great. You’re a natural.”_

Their small bubble had been interrupted by Loras’s voice. Stannis had quickly taken a step back, and let more space come between them.

 

 

Stannis took another shot of brandy welcoming the fire.

 

Putting the glass down, he then was then taken back to when they had been dancing. After the fire-ranging incident, he had tried to keep his distance. He had even watched as Sansa danced from guy to guy. – _Fucking bastards_...

 

But then it had been his turn. She had once more been in his arms. Gosh the feeling had been amazing:

_The music was quick and he had a hard time concentrating on the steps. But Sansa was in his arms, even if only for a few minutes, and she felt wonderful._

_At one point their eyes met with such intensity that it had confused him._

_After the moment passed, Stannis looked down at the top of Sansa’s head and wondering about the look she’d just given him. - Could she possibly be feeling the same way?_

_He felt her shiver and pulled her closer, feeling goose bumbles on her arms. His hand slowly cupped her face and brought her back up._

_Her cheeks were slightly more pink and her eyes felt like they were burning. When he moved his arm more securely around her, he watched her lips part slightly.- Gosh, those lips._

_His mind went bank. His hand glassed the skin below her neck, and then…_

_… his lips lowered_

_… her eyes slowly closed as her shin rose_

_… her breast rubbed against his chest_

_… her lips pressed against his and all he could do was respond. He pressed himself into her, his mouth nipped her lower lip. With a small moan in response, Sansa opened her mouth, letting the tip of her tongue lick his lower lip, taking away any control he had left. Stannis opened his mouth in response and met her tongue with his own._

_“W_ - _Phoooo woooo… guys we’re outside: Get a room!”_

 

And with that: Renly jokingly whistling and chiding them, the spell had once more been broken.

 

For all the gods, how could he have been so foolish? she had kissed him because the others were there, not because she felt the same as him!

The sneaky smile she gave him after confirmed it: this was just part of the act for her. – _How could I have been so stupid_!

 

The door opened behind him.

“Stannis…are you ok?”

 _Gods, even her voice is sweet_.

Without turning around to look at her, Stannis replied: “yea… everything is fine… just a little tired… long day.”

He couldn’t help but hear the disappointment in her voice as she responded: “Oh…ok…I just wanted to check on you… you just ran away after the dance, I was worried I had done something wrong…”

Closing his eyes, trying not to remember the dance or the kiss, he sighed: “no… you did nothing wrong… just needed a little quiet, away from the music and the crowd. I think I’m going to go to bed very soon, but please go back and enjoy yourself.”

“No,… that’s ok… I’d rather stay here with you.”

Stannis scoffed as he turned around: “Really?”

When he was finally facing her, his throat and his heart hitched: she was breath-taking. Sansa stood in front of him; she had obviously been running as her cheeks were flushed and her dress was a little dishevelled.

She looked straight into his eyes, and after biting her lip, she stepped forward towards him, and whispered: “Yes Stannis… there’s no other place I’d rather be.”

Those small sweet words were his undoing, and before he knew it, he had her pressed between him and the closed door, holding her by the waist in one hand, while the other cupped her cheek has his lips plunged into her's, his tongue meeting her's.

 

%MCEPASTEBIN%


	13. Sansa

 

The old Sansa was screaming for her to stop, to pull away. But the new Sansa – the Sansa of the past week - was ecstatic: _Finally_!

She welcomed his hungry lips, her lips responded with equal amount of fervour to his. Her body encouraged him, as she felt his hand starting to explore her body; moving from her hip up her stomach, a few fingers glazing the underside of her breast. His other hand moved from her chin to hold her hair firmly has he angled her face a little more upward, allowing him to intensify his attack.

No, the new Sansa didn’t care, if anything she also was trying to get more, taste more, touch more…

His hand moved between them, pushing some of the material of her dress to the side and slid beneath it, his hot palm making contact with her skin, before gently squeezing her right breast. Her last bit of innocence warned her to push back, push his hand away, but Sansa arched into his palm with a moan.

Sansa felt him growing harder and hungrier with need. Encouraged, she moved her hand down his chest to reach the top of his jeans. After her fingertips briefly caressed the skin right above his jeans, she went to cup the quite sizable bulge below.

With the action, he suddenly broke the kiss. He breathed heavily against her lips as he rested his forehead against hers. Sansa was too enticed to move, she just watched him, as she too tried to calm her breathing and her heart. His eyes were closed, his face consorted in a way that suggested he was having an inner-battle with himself.

After a few moments, Stannis backed away slowly while licking his lips, still unable to look at her. When the back of his legs hit the end of the bed, he turned around, back to her, running his hand through his hair.

“Is everything ok?... did I do something wrong?... I’m sorry I just got caught in the moment, I didn’t mean to …” - _grope you, and for you to freak out_.

With what seemed the greatest effort, Stannis huskily replied: “Trust me Sansa, you did nothing wrong, it’s just… well, you’re so young… I… I lost control of myself. It’s at myself I’m angry at. It was wrong of me to take advantage of you like that. You asked me to help you out with an issue and now I’ve ended up forcing myself on you.”

Sansa sighed exasperated: “But you’re not… taking advantage… I want you to take advantage…”

Stannis warily turned around to finally look at her again: “Gods Sansa, do you know what you are saying? What you are doing to me?”

Her eyes unconsciously darted for a few seconds to his crotch area, before she quickly brought them back up to his eyes, flushing she whispered: “I have some ideas…”

Stannis coughed embarrassed: “Hun yea…well…” Before looking down at the floor, his cheeks going a little flush.

 

“So … now that we’ve cleared the air… can we… hum, continue?”

 

Stannis replied with a more serious, and concerned tone: “Sansa… It’s not just that I feel like I’m taking advantage of you… it just doesn’t feel right. You are an amazing young lady Sansa: you deserve someone who will treat you right. The whole dating, and flowers and stuff… I’m not good at that… you should find some handsome young man who-“

Sansa, who was getting a little annoyed he was trying to dictate who she should like, interrupted: “-I don’t want so young idiot pretty boy, I had that with Joffrey and he didn’t turn out so great in the end. But … I like you… I’m attracted to you, and you are obviously attracted to me, so what’s the problem?”

Stannis sighed: “Sansa … you’re just so… and I’m so … grumpy … old … I’m not the most courteous guy…I’m a workaholic… there are quite a few things you don’t know about me…”

“Of course there are a few things I don’t know about you! There are things you don’t know about me! But that’s why people date: to get to know one another. As for the whole grumpy, old and not-so courteous guy you say you are: I don’t think you’re too old for me, and you’ve never been anything but a gentleman around me. Don’t you think I should have a say in what or who I’m attracted to? who I want to be around? You saved me not only from Marg but from creepy professor Baelish! For the whole workaholic thing: I work a lot too, we can work on that together.”

Stannis looked at her in silence for a few moments, thinking about what she had said. With a shy smile, he finally replied: “Ok…well if … if that’s how you feel: will you … will you go on a date … a real date with me then?”

Sansa let out a huge grin: “Yes! Of course I will!” Before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him full on the mouth.

After responding for a few seconds to her lips, Stannis put his hands on her hips and slowly pushed her away again.

“What now?!” Sansa cried frustrated.

Stannis sighed: “Sansaaa: I want to do this right, you deserve that … and I … well I also owe it to your dad…”

“My dad?… what do you mean?” Sansa said concerned, not sure if she should be worried.

“Well, come on…Ned and I have been … Ned was my mentor a few years back… and I visit him often at the university… we’re colleagues some-what… maybe even friends to a certain extent… I can’t just go behind his back and date his daughter!… It has been pointed out to me that he would probably skin me alive or behead me!… I just want to do right by you and by him… I need to ask him.”

Sansa couldn’t hide her surprise: “…you’re… you’re going to ask my dad, if you can date me?”

“I have to Sansa… I’m sorry… but I don’t want to mess this up before it-“

“-No, no Stannis… I’m not criticising you… I mean, it maybe a little awkward but… well no one has ever done that kind of thing for me before… it’s… well, it’s kind of sweet… Thank you.” Sansa said before giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

Now it was Stannis’s turn to be surprised: “Really?... you are ok with this?”

“Yea, I guess… I mean I don’t really like hiding things from dad, not things this important to me anyway… but I would probably grow eyes in the back of your head for when Robb finds out.”

After a pause, with them softly smiling at each other, Sansa brought her face slowly closer to his, placing her hands on his shoulders, and giving him the softest kiss.

“So… what do you want to do now then? … Can we at least talk then? Hang out? Nothing over PG, I promise.” she added with a wink.

 


	14. Stannis

 

_Just do it – just knock on the fucking door_!

However, as he looked at the name ‘Stark’ written on the plaque, he was unable to move.

When he had held her and touched her, two nights ago, he had lost control of himself – it had reminded him of Melisandre, that two-timing evil bitch. He had been disgusted with himself, to treat Sansa like he had done Melisandre. Sansa wasn’t like her, he couldn’t treat her with the same lack of decency, propriety … nor could he could that to Ned. Everyone had made it abundantly clear to him that any kind of relationship between him and Sansa would drastically effect his relationship with Ned Stark.

Although the man was undoubtedly very close to his brother Robert, Stannis had never understood why. Their characters were so different. Robert was a player, always partying and gambling. Ned was a respected Professor. Although his reserved personality puts off certain people, Stannis actually found it refreshing: someone who doesn’t wear his personality on his sleeve. Although he had never reached the same amount of closeness that Robert and Ned shared, Stannis’s relationship with the other man was an important one in his life. One that he didn’t want to loose…. Nor did he want to loose Sansa.

 

He had to do this right...

So now here he was, for the last five minutes, staring at the oak door … at the plaque ‘ _Professor Eddard Stark, Head of the school of Business and Economy’_ , unable to move.

Why was he acting so foolish, he had been in the room over a hundred times, he should just walk in, and greet his … friend… yea ned and him were friends _… that’s right … everything will be fine… until you tell him all the sordid things you want to do to his daughter_!

Sansa had asked him if she should come with him, but he had turned her down, saying it was best to do things man to man. Now part of him was regretting his refusal: at least she would have been there to support him, and there would have been a witness, if Ned wanted to kill him.

 

After letting out a long sign, Stannis knocked at the heavy door, feeling like it was the door to hell.

“Enter” – _to your doom_.

 

As he walked in, he noticed Ned at his desk, looking over papers. He looked back at Stannis and smiled:

“Stannis – what a nice surprise. Come in, come in. Please, sit.” - _nice surprise… not when I’m finished talking_ ….

“How was the sailing trip?” asked the older man, before quickly adding: “... Let me apologise directly for Robb and Jon as well… they shouldn’t have left you like that, it was beyond rude of them, cant believe those two boys acted so… and for some girls…”

“No, no don’t worry about it. The trip was great. We were still able to enjoy ourselves, even without the Stark men” – _was much better with Sansa than with her brother_.

“Please tell me you didn’t work the whole time?” Ned looked at him concerned.

“No, no… Davos and Sa-hum… well Davos made sure I didn’t. How was the hunting trip?” replied Stannis, trying to change the subject.

“Well, you obviously know about Robert… that was kind of a downer” – _Ah yes, his ‘amazing’ older brother. Stupidly went hunting drunk, and now he wonders why he’s in the hospital._

“Well, it was his fault for drinking that morning, that man has no sense of responsibility.” Replied Stannis solemnly.

“Yea, he’s always been a bit foolish and impetuous. At least it’s only a broken leg. Gods! Imagine if I had let him go towards that boar… could have been much worse.”

“True. Was the rest of the trip ok?”

“It was, …”

“Why do I sense a ‘but’?”

“Tywin Lannister came.” – _Well there is another reason to_ _thank the gods I didn’t come_.

“Oh, didn’t realise the old lion was interested in hunting?”

“He isn’t. Although, Tywin Lannister far from a gun is maybe a good thing.” Ned replied with a sigh. “He was there to talk to your brother… kept on pushing Robert about doing more trade with Lannis-Corp.”

“Hope you told Robert to say no?”

“I definitely did tell him that… anyway, let’s not talk about Tywin Lannister… you wanted to see me about something.” Ned looked at Stannis expectantly.

Stannis tried to clear his throat, who had suddenly gotten very dry: “Huuuh yea… there’s something… I wanted to talk to you about…huh…” _Great! You can’t even speak properly, pull your shit together_!

Ned looked at him worried: “Are you ok? … Are you in trouble, and need help with something?”

“No, no, no. Nothing like that… there something I need to ask you… but before I do, tell me : how long have we know each other, over ten years right?”

Ned confused, replied: “Okay… yea, I’ll bite: we met when you were still a kid, barely 9 years old. … Gods that was a life time ago. I remember you even came to my wedding, one of the usher boys, you and that Martell kid… gosh what is his name… Doran’s son… Quentyn! That’s right it was you and Quentyn.”

“Yea, that’s right. Wow! That’s over twenty years ago… who would have thought…”

“Yea, I still remember seeing you with braces. And there was that one pool party where you were working on your homework, refusing to go in the pool with the others until it was done. Robert though you were crazy.” Ned reminisced with a smile on his face.

“Haha yea… even back then we were quite different. …. And you know that, right, Ned? I’m nothing like Robert… not that’s it’s a bad thing to be Robert, but I’m well more serious… I … I don’t go gallivanting somewhere at two in the morning… I don’t go from woman to woman… I-“

Ned, now even more confused and actually a little worried interrupted him a second time: “-Stannis I’m not sure where this is going… did you and Robert get in an argument? ...what is this about?”

“No…no everything between me and Robert is fine… well maybe not fine, but it’s the same as always. Huuh… what I was trying to say is that I would never disrespect… or harm… or do anything against any… woman…”

“Of course Stannis. Of course I know this. Gods, when we were younger, Robert was convinced you were going to become a priest. Until you brought home Selyse, that is…. Is that what you wanted to ask me about… your past with Selyse?”

“No… no this isn’t about Selyse…”

Ned couldn’t help but smile: “But it’s about a woman?... that’s great Stan you’re finally moving on! Did you need advice on how to talk to her…? I must say I’m surprised you came to me though, a little flattered but-“

_Oh Gods, this is not at all going as planned- the man actually wants to give me advise on how to talk to his daughter… well he doesn’t know that it’s Sansa_ …

Stannis quickly interrupted him: “-Noo…no I mean, I talk to her fine… it seems that way at least.”

“So what is it?” Ned’s curiosity rising.

Stannis suddenly went really red- _Well, here goes nothing_ : “Oh gods… Ned …hum… I … wanted to ask you if… if Icoulddateyourdaughter?”

“Sorry? Didn’t quite hear the last part?”

“I was wondering… I wanted to ask you if I could huh… take Sansa out for a meal sometime?”

Ned’s face turned to pure shock and confusion: “Sansa? … you want to take Sansa out for a meal?... Sansa- my Sansa?”

“Y-yes.”

“Like … a date?”

Stannis took a long gulp before replying affirmative: “yes”

There was then a long pause, Stannis looking at Ned worried, Ned looking back at him was still full of confusion.

“Look Ned… as you know I’ve been helping Sansa with her thesis… and at the same time, we’ve ended up talking about stuff… and well I’ve… I’ve grown to appreciate her company… but it seemed wrong to… well I felt like it would be the right thing to do to ask you first if I could… date her?”

Ned sat there for a moment longer, still with a stunned look on his face: “…you… you talk about stuff?... what kind of stuff? …. What kind of stuff do you appreciate her company for?” his tone going a tiny bit closer to a growl at the end.

“We just talk about her life at university… about her brothers and sister… about my family and work…what she likes to do outside class”

Ned was now looking everywhere, looking very lost: “Soo sooo you guys talk… about stuff… and appreciate each other’s company… and… I need a drink.”

He quickly stood up, and poured himself a sizable portion of Scotch. After quickly downing the liquid, he poured himself another one.

_Gods the man has completely lost it… well at least he’s not killing me… well not yet_ …

“Ned … I know this comes a bit as a shock but this is not some passing fling. I am a man bound to do what is right and I felt it necessary to tell you that I have feelings for your daughter, and what my intentions towards her are, and hopefully have your consent-”

“-But… but… she’s still in uni… doing her masters… and you… you’re always working… how…how… how did you … you… ?” able to finish the sentence, Ned looked back at Stannis expectantly.

“Well first there was the thesis meetings… and then we occasionally saw each other outside of the meetings…”

Ned’s face went a little dark: “Occasionally outside… what do you mean?”

“Well at the party… and then we had coffee together once… and I bumped into her at the Tyrells… and well she was also there, at the beach house.” Stannis finished with a sigh.

“Sansa… sansa was at the beach house? Robb never told me this…”

_Oohhh crapp, this is going to look so conspicuous_ …

“She came after Robb and Jon left.” Stannis winced.

“Huh… she… so Sansa was at the beach house… you were at the beach house…” Ned replied gesturing air and then him.

“Ned nothing happened: Miss Tyrell was there. As well as Renly and his friend Loras, and there was Davos… Ned, I never did anything to disrespect her, I would never do that …in any way…”

_Except for forcing my tongue down her throat… and groping her_ _breasts_ …

“Ned… I care for Sansa, I have the utmost respect for her… and for you… and I will do my hardest to show you that I will treat her the way she should – she deserves - to be treated.”

Once Stannis stopped talking, he just waited for Ned to say something. However Ned just stared at him, studying his face maybe to see if he was lying… or if the whole thing was one sick joke…

Finally, he took a huge breath and sighed, said: “Stannis… thank you for coming to me about… this…. I know it probably wasn’t easy to come here… and I know you’re nothing like your brother… but I… I need time to process what you’ve just told me… and I think I should have a talk with Sansa. I would like to know her side of the story …”

Stannis let out a small smile: “Of course, of course…please take your time.” – B _ut too long …hopefully_ …

 

%MCEPASTEBIN%


	15. Sansa

 

Monday Evening

 

Text received at 18:52, Stannis: **_Sansa, Just left your father. He is little shell socked. Said he will contact you. Hopefully I will see you soon. Stannis’_**

 

Text received at 19:05, Dad: **_Sansa- Have just had a chat with Stannis Baratheon, I think you should come home this weekend so we can chat about a few things. Dad – PS- will not discussed this with your mother, think it best to wait till after our chat._** ’

 

Reply to Stannis at 19:24 **_Stannis – yea just got a message from him – have been summoned to Winterfell Manor for the weekend, can’t hardly wait, NOT. Sansa’_**

****

Reply to Dad at 19:39 **_Dad, was thinking of coming on Friday evening. Love, Sansa (your ADULT daughter that loves you)_**

 

Reply to Dad at 19:41 **_– PS thank you for not telling mom_**

****

Reply to Stannis at 19:43: **_Hoping to see you soon as well x Sansa_**

 

Text received at 20:01, Stannis: **_How was your day? Stannis_**

 

Reply to Stannis at 20:09 **_Long. Busy – tried to not think about you and my dad. Getting back into lectures was also harder than I anticipated. I miss the beach house. How was yours? X_**

 

Text received at 20:14, Stannis: **_I know what you mean – I think it’s the first time I wasn’t looking forward to Monday. Glad to have survived the day: not only did I have the chat with your dad, but had to go see Robert at the hospital this morning – he wouldn’t stop complaining. Also, later in the day Davos ambushed me._**

 

Reply to Stannis at 20:17: **_how is your brother? Is he going to have to stay in the hospital a long time? What did Davos ambush you about?_**

 

Text received at 20:25, Stannis: **_He mainly complained about the fact that he wasn’t allowed to drink any alcohol, or eat any red meat. On the other hand seemed fine with the fact that only Tommen and Marcella had visited him in his immediate family._**

 

Text received at 20:30, Stannis: **_By the way: miss the beach house as well, especially our room ;)_**

 

Reply to Stannis at 20:34: **_An innuendo- joke and a smiley face?! Who are you, and what have you done with Stannis B?_**

 

Text received at 20:39, Stannis: **_I know – I’m as surprised as you. I guess you bring out the worse in me ;)_**

 

Reply to Stannis at 20:41: **_A second smile! I think your brother isn’t the only one that needs to get checked out._**

 

Reply to Stannis at 20:46: **_Btw- you didn’t reply to my previous question: what did Davos ambush you about?_**

 

Text received at 20:52, Stannis: **_You_**.

 

Reply to Stannis at 20:59: **_Oh?_**

 

Text received at 21:03, Stannis: **_He asked about this weekend. Especially what happened Saturday evening._**

 

Reply to Stannis at 21:05: **_And… What did you tell him?_**

 

Text received at 21:13, Stannis: **_That I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and that I wanted to date you – for real._**

 

Reply to Stannis at 21:17: **_hopefully you won’t have to wait too long; Though we can always rebel against my family if they don’t approve. I really liked being in a ‘relationship’ with you, and I especially like where things were headed on sat evening ;)_**

 

Text received at 21:19, Stannis: **_Don’t tempt me Sansa. All I could think about all day was Saturday evening, and waking up next to you on Sunday. I missed you this morning._**

 

Reply to Stannis at 20:21: **_I missed you too._**

 

Reply to Stannis at 20:24: **_Marg and Jeyne just got back, will talk to you soon x_**

 

Text received at 21:27, Stannis: **_Sooner the better. S_**

****

 

Text received at 22:32, Bran: **_San/ Arya, WFT has happened? Dad just got home clearly drunk raving something about his ‘baby girl’ and ‘Baratheon men corrupting everyone’. X Bran_**

 

Reply to Bran at 22:58: **_hey B, don’t worry about it – dad just got some news he wasn’t expecting- everything is fine I promise. Im coming to WM this weekend btw, will you be there? X Sansa_**

 

Text received at 23:01, Arya: **_San –saw Bran’s text, do you know what he’s going on about? Plz tell me ur not back with fuck face Jof? X Arya_** ’

 

Reply to Arya at 23:08 **_hey A – No, I have DEF NOT gotten back with Joff. everything is fine: dad just got some news he wasn’t expecting. X Sansa_** ’

 

Text received 23:11, Arya: **_alriiighhhty then. Good to no that ur not back with fuck face. xA_**

 

Text received 23:12, Bran: **_Ok – but r u sure every is good? Dad is still rambling, mom is worried. Going hiking with Jojen and Meera on sat but should b home the rest of the we. X B_**

 

Text received 23:22, Bran: **_Wait - y r u coming to Winterfell this weekend? Sansa: wat is going on? TELL ME. Bran_**

 

Text received 23:25, Arya: **_Ur not pregnant right? A_**

 

Reply to Arya at 23:28 **_NO!! y wud u think that?!!!?!?!_**

 

Reply to Bran at 23:28: **_Everything is fine, I promise littl’ bro :). will see you this weekend x_**

 

Text received 23:31, Arya: **_Was Just checking_**.

 

Reply to Arya at 23:39: **_Well I am NOT pregnant! On a diff note: u free to meet up this week? S_**

 

Reply to Arya at 23:41: **_PS - R u?_**

 

Text received 23:51, Arya: **_Nope – Gen and I aren’t that stupid – rather not give mom a heart attack, or give dad a reason to kill my bf. U sure everything is good? – it’s not everyday that u wanna meet up. X A_**

****

Reply to Arya at 23:57: **_Yes just wanted to see my fav littl’ sis_**

****

Text received 00:02, Arya: **_Right something is def up – u have to tell me everything. Tomorrow after my self-defence class?_**

 

Reply to Arya at 00:06: **_Gods! Y is everyone reading wayyy too much into this: everything is fine. See you tomorrow, in front of the gym’s main entrance at 18:00. Nit x_**

 

 

_Yea hopefully dad won’t kill mine either – at least not before something actually happens between us_.

 

Sansa put the phone down and got ready for bed. After one last look at her phone, she closed her eyes. It had been a long day, and she had a feeling that the rest of the week would be even longer.

 

Text received 00:38, Stannis: **_Good night sleeping beauty. Stannis_**

 


	16. Sansa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa at Arya's place the next day

 

“Sooo how was Highgarden with the precious rose?” Arya asked, putting down her cup of coffee, after taking a sip.

Sansa couldn’t help but blush: “Well actually, we only stayed in Highgarden at the beginning of the week actually?”

Arya looked at her confused: “What do you mean?”

“We actually ended up at the beach house Marg’s brother and Ren had rented.”

Arya snorted: “Fat lot of good that did- Jon told me Robb and him left on Tuesday. Told me Robb wouldn’t shut up about his lady friend. It was all ‘ _Ros this’_ and ‘ _Roslin that’_ , until Jon – and probably all the others – had had enough, and they went back on mainland.”

“Oh come on A – it’s not like Jon sacrificed himself, he also had a lovely lady to incite him to come home to.”

Arya groaned: “yea yea whatever.”

“Ohhh don’t be like that. It still surprises me that you don’t get on with Ygritte.” After a sigh, Sansa confessed: “Well in any case it wasn’t for Robb or Jon’s benefit that Marg and I joined the boys at the island.”

Arya rolled her eyes: “Seven Hells San, you do know that Loras is gay right?”

Sansa jokingly hit her sister on the back of her head: “Of course! I’m not thirteen anymore!”

Arya then looked at her confused: “So… why were you there?”

Sansa started to blushed: “weelll… Oh Arya promise you won’t say anything…to any one … least of all to Robb!”

“Oooohhh… this much be something interesting to get you all twisted up… ok, fine I promise. Now tell me!”

Sansa looked away from her sister, a bit embarrassed, not knowing how to start.

“Welll… I know we sometimes don’t have the best sister relationship but… well it’s gotten better this last year, now that you’re at university as well-“

“-And the fact that you’ve dumped that ass hat!”

“Yea and that… and the fact that you have a boyfriend”, teased Sansa. she then giggled, “ – Gods, that day when you came to be blushing, asking me to help with make-up, I thought I was going to have a stroke.”

Arya threw one of the sofa pillows square in the middle of her sister’s face.

Sansa continued to laugh as she tried to continue: “Haha… Gods sorry going off topic… as I was saying: I needed someone’s advice, and I thought it best to come to you.”

Arya looked at Sansa in shock: “Me?... me?... are you sure Sansa? you never come to me for advice. Like N-E-V-E-R. Don’t get me wrong but you are always going to Robb, or sometimes Jon, but never me.”

“Well now I’m wondering if I’ve made a mistake. Maybe I should of gone to Jon about this.” Sansa retorted sarcastically.

Arya hit her a second time with the pillow.

“All right, all right. I can’t really go to Robb, because he’ll just go ballistic, and Jon… well, Im not sure how he will react… plus, he might tell Robb.”

“Gods, San you’re starting to worry me: are you sure you’re not pregnant?”

“NO! Why do you keep thinking that?”

“Well I can’t think of anything else you could possibly do where you would come to me.” Shrugged Arya.

“Well no, I’m NOT pregnant. Though it’s to do with yesterday’s text messages …”Sansa said looking at her fingers.

“The ones from Bran, saying how dad was raving about the Baratheon men?”

“Yea…”

“Come one San! I can’t really help you if I don’t know what’s going on!”

“Well … you know how after you started going out with Gendry, you were worried how the parents, especially dad would react, since Gendry four years older than you-”

“-Five actually.”

“Yea… anyway well, you were worried by his reaction due to the age gap-“

“- Yea and the fact that I was having sex with Gen.” Arya chuckled.

 

 _Gods- don’t give me that image_!

 

“Yea … and that. Well, I’m seeing dad this weekend, and I was wondering if there was any advice you could give on what to say… or not say…?”

Arya looked at her with confusion: “Sansa, what’s going on? You dating a new guy? … But why are you worried?... you’re always dating the ‘perfect guy’ according to mom and dad. Even though they are total ass-hats...Gods.”

Sansa couldn’t look up at her sister: “well… I don’t think this time that dad will be over the-“

“-Wait! You said age gap! … Sansa: Are you dating some old guy?! Please tell me it’s not Petyr Baelish?... that guy is always looking at you creepily at uni” Arya asked with disgust.

“No! its not Baelish, ewww.”

Arya grinned: “But it IS some old guy?”

“He’s not that old…”

“How old?”

Sansa looked at her sister sheepishly: “32”

Arya looked at her in somewhat admiration: “Wow… nine years… didn’t think you had it in you…Do I know this guy.”

Sansa couldn’t help but go really red in the face: “Welll…”

“Wait!... Baratheon men!” Arya exclaimed, jumping from the sofa, looking at her sister. “You really are going out with Stannis Baratheon?!”

Sansa didn’t answer.

Sitting back down, Arya continued to looked at her sister in surprise: “Well I wasn’t really expecting that… I mean when that lion bitch was raving on about you and Stannis B at the party everyone thought she was high on coke or something…No one really believed her.”

“Yea I don’t think dad did either.”

“Dad?”

“Yea, Stan went to see him yesterday… that’s what all the messages were about.” Sansa sighed. She then went to explain the whole thing to Arya, from the Baratheon party to yesterday.

“So … you weren’t actually with him at the party?”

“Nope.”

“But you are now?”

“Well I hope so… but he doesn’t want to do anything without dad’s ‘blessing’… since they are friends.”

Sansa then grunted, placing her face in her hands: “Urrggg… why does he have to be friends with dad!”

Arya could help but laugh in response: “hahaha… well at least you are going for one of the better Baratheon men now… at least this one gets Gendry, and thus also my stamp of approval.”

Sansa looked up confused: “What’s Gendry got to do with this?”

“Well ever since Stannis is his guardian… “ Answered Arya in confusion: “Didn’t you know?”

Sansa couldn’t help but exclaim: “What?! No! since when?”

Arya blinked a few times, looking at her sister curiously: “Serious San you don’t know?... Way to start a relationship…”she added rolling her eyes.

“Just tell me!” Sansa replied a little frustrated with Arya.

“Fine, fine. Don’t get your panties in a twist.” Sighed Arya. After a moment in her thoughts, Arya continued: “Well, I guess it all started a few years back… I think it was either Dad or Dad’s friend Jon Aryn who found out that Robert Baratheon was Gendry’s dad… and well from what Gendry told me the two of them kind of pushed Robert to make an effort with his ‘illegitimate son’ especially since Gen’s mom’s death…”

“Gendry is Robert’s son?!” Sansa asked surprised- _this whole conversation is getting more and more weird-revealing._

“Yea… he found out in his first year of high school. He met Robert, and… well Robert did make an effort I’ll give him that… He apparently was really happy to hear he had another son.”

Sansa couldn’t help but get more confused: “But what’s that’s have to do with Stan?”

“Well … Cersei happened. From what I understand, Robert wanted Gendry to meet his brothers and his sister, and the crazy lion-bitch went ape-shit crazy… telling him that she would never let his ‘bastard’ ruin their image of the ‘perfect couple’… as if. In any case, maybe because he was feeling guilty, or the fact that dad chastised him, but Robert couldn’t fully abandon his ‘new son’, so he went to Stannis about Gendry.”

“What did Stannis do?”

Arya then let out a chuckle: “I actually think Stannis liked the fact that at least one of Robert’s children wasn’t Cersei’s… even though you can tell he is even more disappointed with Robert that he got some girl pregnant who wasn’t his wife - he was more than happy by Cersei’s reaction.”

“Soo…. Come on Arya this story is taking ages!”

“Sooo… when Robert spent less time with Gendry, Stannis took him under his wing. He gave Gendry a place to stay, and even hired him a part time job after school.”

“Wow. How long ago was this?” Sansa asked.

Arya quickly thought: “umm let’s see… Gen found out in sophomore year of high school… so nine years ago.”

“Wow… can’t believe I never knew about this.”

“Yea me neither… thought Jof would had ranted about it or something.” Replied Arya grimly.

“Jof knows about his half-brother?” asked Sansa surprised that Joffrey knew that Gendry existed.

“Yea. The two hate each other. Gendry thinks Joffrey is an ass, and rightly so… Anyway, Gendry gets along much better with his uncles than with his dad and his family. Apparently in senior year, Stannis officially became his guardian.”

“Really?! How come?”

“Well Gendry was already living with hi. I think he wanted to help out Gendry as much as possible, with him graduating and going to uni and everything. I also think Stannis was appalled by Robert’s lack of responsibility for his son…. Plus Gendry gets on so well with Shireen… so that was always a bonus. Stannis was probably grateful for Gendry’s presence.”

Now Sansa was really confused: “Shireen?”

“Yea, Gendry loves Shireen.”

Sansa shook her head: “No, I meant: who’s Shireen?”

Arya just looked at her sister as if she had two heads: “Stannis’s kid.”

There was a long pause where, Sansa was going over the two words Arya had just said to her, not understanding them together.

_Stannis_

_Kid_

_Stannis_

_Kid_

_No surely this is some kind of a mistake… surely Arya is just being Arya and thinks this is some kind of joke… so kind of shit, fucked up joke that’s not at all funny-_

“-Sansa?”

Arya was looking at her, moving her hand in front of Sansa’s face.

“You ok?... thought I lost you there…” Arya smiled sheepishly.

After another pause, Arya sighed: “sooooo I guessing you didn’t know about Shireen. Stannis’s daughter…. Which now that I think about it isn’t that surprising since it was Gendry who told me about her, and he also told me that not many people outside her family know about her…”

Sansa swallowed slowly: “So… so, so, so … Stannis has a daughter… Shireen… that not many know about…. Why do not many people know about her?”

“Welllll… I don’t know all the details, Gen doesn’t know all of them either, but there were a few things he didn’t want-“

Suddenly Sansa got a horrible thought: _Stannis has a daughter, a daughter- Stannis the man that is all about duty, and making everything right…_

She turned to Arya in horror: “Is Stannis married?!” – _Oh in the seven hells!! I kissed a married man!...Oh please Arya say no… say no… no wonder dad wants to talk_ …

“No!” Arya said shocked. – _Phew_!

But then Arya continued: “Well at least I don’t think soo… Oh come on San do you really think he would have started something you if he was?”

“If this is supposed to reassure me, Ary, it isn’t. Let’s not forget who’s Stannis’s brother! The Fucking Philanderer of the Century!”

Arya rolled her eyes: “San you’re being ridiculous: Stannis is the total opposite to Robert. In any case, do you really think Stannis, who does everything to the rules, would cheat? Or for that matter, go to our father – Eddard Stark – and ask to date his daughter if he was married?”

Sansa relaxed a bit: “No I suppose not… but Arya what do this mean? The guy has a daughter! Why did he never tell me? He never once mentioned her.” – _Well maybe because you were too busy trying to jump his bones_ …

“I honestly don’t know Sansa… All I know is what Gen has told me, and from what I understand Stannis is very hush-hush and protective of her. You should probably be asking him about her. Maybe before you start something with him.”

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

As Sansa walked through the halls of Baratheon Industries, she thought about all she had just learnt. Maybe this whole thing was crazy. She only really knew the guy the last two-three weeks. Before that fateful party, Stannis had always been ‘ _Dad’s friend’… ‘Mr Baratheon’… ‘Jof’s stuck up uncle’_ … they didn’t actually know each other, really.

 _Yea but in those three weeks, you’ve gotten to know each other pretty well… especially at the beach house…_ a small voice in the back of Sansa’s brain whispered. _You haven’t felt this close… this kind of feeling for anyone… not even Joffrey_ …

The thoughts were still battling through her brain when Sansa reached her destination. She looked up at the name on the door before knocking: _Stannis Baratheon, Managing Partner_.

A rough, even maybe somewhat angry voice, answered: “Enter!”

 

_Time to get some answers_

Once Sansa opened the door, she was surprised to see Stannis looking angry, staring at a tall red-head, whose back was to Sansa.

Obviously whatever they had been discussing wasn’t pleasant, for it took Stannis a few moments to turn his gaze to her, and see who had joined them.

Sansa couldn’t help but feel a few butterflies in her stomach, when his face automatically became less threatening, even a bit cheerful when his eyes met hers. “Oh Sansa … please come in… Don’t worry my visitor was just leaving.” He quickly added giving the other woman an ice cold stare.”

Moving more into the room, as the woman moved towards the door, Sansa was able get a better view of her: she was beautiful! Her dark red hair and her piercing eyes made Sansa think of a dangerous siren, hypnotising sailors to their doom.

Before she left the room, the woman turned back to Stannis one more time: “This isn’t finished Stannis.”

“I have nothing more to say to you Melisandre. Now, get out!” he replied furiously. And with that, the woman was gone.

After looking at the closed door for a second, Sansa turned back around to face Stannis. He slumped into his chair exhausted, placing his head in his hands running his fingers over his face and through his hair.

Sansa couldn’t help but feel concern for him.

“Stannis… are you okay?... who… who was that?”

At her voice he looked back up, at her in wonder. Ignoring her question, he sighed: “Sansaaa, you have no idea how amazing it is to see you. I’ve had the worse day. You are like a breath of fresh air.”

Suddenly the thought of her own day reminded Sansa of why she had come to see him. Straightening herself, Sansa couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Stannis, knowing that what she was about to ask him was probably not going to make his day any better.

“Stannis, when were you going to tell me about Shireen?”

 

%MCEPASTEBIN%

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder of the ages of everyone in this fic, plus a few new ppl:
> 
> Ned : 43  
> Robert: 42  
> Stannis: 32  
> Renly: 28  
> Robb/Jon/Loras:25  
> Gendry:24  
> Sansa: 23  
> Arya:19  
> Bran: 17  
> Rickon: 14  
> Shireen:10/11ish


	17. Stannis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Same day from Stannis's POV

_“I have a wife now, I took vows. What we did before was wrong, but this would be even worse.”_

_Melisandre moves towards him, half whispering in his ear: “She is sickly, mourning the babes she lost instead of taking care of her family that’s living… Taking care of her daughter... taking care of you.” She finishes by splaying her fingers on his chest._

_“Don’t you see that you have so much potential, so much to offer? Don’t you see that she is holding you back? She cares more about the dead than the living.”_

_Stannis tries to move away, turning from her._

_“I am not a nineteen year old boy anymore.”_

_Grabbing his growing manhood in her hand, Melisandre agrees: “No, you are not.”_

_Pushing her hand away reluctantly, Stannis insists: “We can’t do this, Melisandre. This ended when I married, please …”_

_“I know … and I would have stayed away if there was something to stay away from… but your marriage is nearly non-existent… your wife is no wife… you deserve so much Stannis… but you aren’t getting any of it.”_

_Stannis can’t deny anything of what she is saying. His marriage is probably even more of a disaster than that of his brother’s. His wife is closed off from the world, he hasn’t felt anything like what he is feeling now for the last four years… four years of having a cold woman next to him, more gone than with him, in every sense...four years …_

_As Melisandre reaches for his lower half once more, Stannis is unable to take it anymore: he grabs her and pushes her against the desk, shoving her dress upwards. In quick movements his fly is unzipped and he thrusts his hard erection into her without preamble._

_Her body is tense with shock, but Stannis doesn’t have time to care – he’s waited to long for this kind of release: he is hard and hungry- he takes without giving, driving uncontrollably within her._

_Not that she seems to mind from the moans she emits._

_When he finally looks up at her face, it’s not brown-red eyes he connects with … no, the eyes are blue-_

\- Stannis woke up with a jolt.*

 

Panting, it took Stannis a few moments to realise where he was: in his bedroom, alone. No Melisandre. No Sansa.

_Sansa…_ he sighed, laying back down looking up at his ceiling.

 

Unable to go back to sleep, Stannis went to his kitchen to start the day. Taking a sip of his coffee, he recalled his first internship, thirteen years ago, age nineteen.

 

\- - - - -

[Flashback 1] *

 

_“Welcome to Red R'hllor Incorporated, how can I help you?”_

_“Good Morning, my name is Stannis Baratheon. I am here for the Internship in Business Management?”_

_The woman behind the desk quickly typed something on her keyboard._

_“Ahh yes: Mr Baratheon. You will be working with Mr Ezzelyno Moqorro and Ms Melisandre Ember. Please take this intern pass and you can take the elevator to the third floor. Ms Ember is absent this week, but I will inform Mr Moqorro of your arrival. He should be able to greet you, once you reach the designated floor. He will show you around the BM Department.”_

_. . . . ._

_A week later_

_“So how come you came to Pentos to work in a small company like RRI, instead of Baratheon Industries?”_

_Stannis sighed, explaining what he had already tried to explain to his dad and older brother: “Well I am still in my studies, and seemed like the best time for different experiences in the world.”_

_Mr Moqorro looked at him sceptically: “You didn’t want to go directly into what was already given to you, didn’t you?”_

_Stannis replied with a dried laugh: “Haha yea, sounds about right.”_

_“And why us?”_

_“I actually met Thoros Myrin Kings Landing. He knows my older brother. I talked to him about try to find an internship in a smaller company to Baratheon Industries- not that there are many that are bigger- and somewhere outside of the Stormlands. He recommended I contact this company among others.”_

_Moqorro was about to reply when a striking red-head walked into the room._

_Standing up, Moqorro greeted the new arrival. “Ah- Melisandre.”_

_Stannis couldn’t help but follow her every step as the woman came in. Studying her, he assumed she was in her mid-twenties. She was definitely beautiful; Robert would certainly hit on her if they ever met. There was also the fact that even though her red dress was business wear, it was also definitely very fitted, showing off her curves._

_“Melisandre, this is Stannis Baratheon, our summer intern from Storm’s University. Stannis, Ms Melisandre Ember.”_

_Stannis stood up and shook the extended hand._

_When Moqorro had said his last name he was sure he saw a glimmer in her eyes – not that he wasn’t use to it: being a Baratheon always lead to people wanting something from you. Although most of the time, people would go more to his handsome older brother._

_“Mr Baratheon.” She nodded in an exotic accent._

 

\- - - - - -

[Back to Now]

 

Not long after Stannis sat down, getting started on the day ahead someone knocked at his office door.

Confused, knowing he wasn't expecting anyone this early, he called out: "Enter."

 

Surprise etched on Stannis's face as a somewhat panicked looking Catelyn Stark walked in.

Standing up to properly greet her, Stannis said: "Mrs stark, please come in. I didn't realise we had a meeting this morning, can I call to get you something: a tea or coffee?"

“No-no thank you just water.”

After taking a long gulp of water, Catelyn Stark explained Stannis’s unasked question: “We don't have a meeting. I'm here because of Ned… he… He doesn't know I'm here.”

“Mrs Stark-“

But she put up her hand showing she wanted to continue: “Last night he came home... [ _There was a pause where she shifted in her chair looking uncomfortable_ ]... Well drunk...It's so not like him... As you know... He was ranting about Robert… saying Baratheon men were corrupting the innocent ... It didn't make much sense… He’s now still at home, unable to go to work because he’s soo hung-over. He won’t even talk to me, tell me what happened.” She finished, looking at Stannis with pleading eyes.

_Well shit … now what do I do…? Tell her it’s my fault her husband is having some kind of crisis?... because I want to fuc- go out with her daughter?_

 

Since Stannis didn’t reply, Catelyn pushed on: “I don’t understand … do you know what happened between Robert and Ned? I can’t help but be worried. The last time he was like this it was when San- hum… [ _she coughed, before leaving a small pause_ ] … well last time, they didn’t talk for a whole two months…”

“Mrs Star-“

“- Catelyn, please. I think we’ve known each other long enough, and my husband thinks so highly of you.” She said with a small smile.

_Greaaattt… this isn’t making things ten times worse… oh wait, yes it is_ …

Looking up at her, Stannis started again: “Catelyn, I can assure you everything between Robert and Eddard is fine. They are fine.”

_On the other hand, your husband and I… well that may be a different story_ …

 

Catelyn Stark objected though: “But you didn’t see him last night, going on about ‘Baratheon corrupting young girls’ … ‘old men seducing his daughters’…”

Her eyes suddenly snapped up facing Stannis directly, her face going even paler: “Did something happen between Robert and one of my girls?”

 

_Fuckkkkk…_

Trying to calm the woman in front of him…. And himself of the growing panic inside him, Stannis sighed: “No nothing has happened between Robert and your daughters. Please Catelyn, I promise I will look into it; I will talk with both of them but I am pretty sure all is well between the two. I would have already heard from Robert if it wasn’t the case.”

“I’m just so worried. I don’t know what to do? …Thank you Stannis, I knew I could count on you.”

 

Stannis tried to smile but it came out more as an awkward grimace. As Catelyn continued talking to him, Stannis realised with horror that he was actually closer in age to Catelyn than Sansa.

_Talk about an awkward conversation with the future in-laws…future in laws?! Where did that come from?_

 

. . . . .

 

Soon after Catelyn Stark left, Davos walked in.

“Seven Hells Davos, I don’t know what to do? I – I can’t keep wondering if I’m over my head with ... all this.”

Davos chuckled as he replied: “Haha… oh Stannis you and your red-heads, always so much drama…”

The image of another red-head popped into his head, souring Stannis’s mood.

Gritting his teeth, Stannis replied: “This is no laughing matter Davos.” Whilst his mind wondered once more to the past.

 

\- - - - - -

[Flashback 2] *

 

_“Stannis” she said in a mysterious air, bringing her body closer to his._

_Shifting away, Stannis stammered: “Ms Ember it’s getting late. If there is nothing else, I think I will retire for the evening._

_As Stannis started to put the different files away, he heard the door close. – Not thinking much of it he continued with the files._

_“Yes there is something you can do for me.”_

_He turned around to come face to face with a naked Melisandre_

_“Ms Ember! Wh... what...?” But he didn’t know how to continue the sentence. He tried to look away but he could sense her walking towards him, as he tried to retreat._

_Suddenly his back hit the wall as Melisandre reached him, trapping him._

_“Call me Melisandre, Stannis...” she purred. “Don’t be afraid… I’m not going to hurt you, on the contrary…”_

_As if to reinforce her argument she reached for the already semi-erect member between his legs._

_“Ms Ember... please... this isn’t right... I... we can’t …”, Stannis stammered, trying to convince himself as much as her._

_Not listening to him, Melisandre’s hand started rubbing up and down his groin, exciting him into a full uncomfortable situation._

_Trying to move away from her, Stannis continued to stammer._

_“Please Ms Ember…”_

_“- I told you to call me Melisandre” rubbing him further. “Stannis, I know you are attracted to me. I feel a certain pull towards you. I feel like we could be able to have fun together.”_

_“What if anyone would walk in on us right now?”_

_“They won’t”_

_“Wh-what do you mean?”_

_Ignoring his question, she asked her own: “Stannis... have you ever been with a woman?”_

_Stannis became even redder than he already was, unable to answer._

_Unzipping him and pulling him out, her hand going up and down his shaft she continued: “Stannis let me show you … you don’t need to be nervous. I find you very attractive, and I can feel you attraction to me… Stannis you’re always very stressed, so much pent frustrations, about you father, you brother, work, school.... I want to help. I am going to show you the pleasures of life…”_

_She took his shaking hand and placed it on her right breast. Then continuing to take care of his swollen member, Melisandre kissed him._

_It wasn’t a gentle kiss. It was hot and passionate, one like he had never had before. Unable to control himself, he responded squeezing her breast harder, whilst grabbing the back of her hair with his other hand._

_After what seemed like ages had passed, she sighed: “That’s right, let me show you.”_

_And without preamble she went on her knees and took him in her mouth._

_Stannis being so unused to these feelings just stood there, his body shaking as he felt carnal joys for the first time._

 

. . . . . . .

_A few months later_

 

_They were lying naked, their bodies intertwined._

_Although they had been sleeping together for the last few months, it always took a encouragement on Melisandre’s part for Stannis to succumb to her._

_Even though he knew it was wrong, that he shouldn’t be sleeping with someone he wasn’t married to, with one of his bosses no less, Stannis couldn’t help but keep going back to her._

_He also felt guilty because he knew he didn’t love her, it was lust more than anything else._

_But could you really hold it against a twenty year old red-blooded man? – For the first time Stannis understood some of the reason Robert slept around so much._

_Though that didn’t mean that now that his brother was married he should continue with his string of conquests. - A married man should uphold his vows. That’s why he had to do what he was about to say to Melisandre._

_Sighing, Stannis broke the silence: “I have received news from Father.”_

_She looked up at him, slowly stroking his chest, but making no other answer._

_“I’m going back home at the end of the month.”_

_“So soon?”_

_“The internship was supposed to be a full year, but can be less. Father has already contacted RRI: I am to return home and ‘do my duty’._

_“Your duty?_

_“Marry. My parents have picked out someone for me.”_

_“I didn’t realise arranged marriages still existed.”_

_“They do in Westeros, especially in the highborn families.”_

_After a long pause, Melisandre lay further on top of him: “Well let’s make the most of it before you meet your bushing bride.”_

_As Melisandre took his swollen cock, and brought it to her wet folds, Stannis wondered if she would miss him. He wondered if he would miss her._

 

\- - - - -

[Back to Now]

 

Davos’s voice brought him back to the present. “Sorry… I didn’t mean anything by my remark. I honestly don’t know what you should do…I came here to remind you we have a meeting with Tywin Lannister in five minutes in the Main Conference room.”

_Greeeaaatttt_

Stannis stood up for his desk, as he picked up the required files for the meeting: “Ohh how I do love my chats with Lannister.”

Davos couldn’t help but chuckle, as they made their way down the hall: “Don’t we all.”

 

\- - - - - - -

 

“What do you want Melisandre?”

 

The meeting with both Tywin and Kevan Lannister had been extremely long and tedious, giving Stannis a head ache.

When he had then received a call from his older brother, from the hospital, it confirmed that this day was definitely not a good one.

Though it wasn’t until this very moment that he hadn’t realised how bad it could go: when Melisandre walked into his office.

 

“Nice to see you too.”

As his anger rose, Stannis replied through gritted teeth: “Actually I don’t care what you want to talk about, please leave… I’m actually surprised you were able to reach this floor.”

“Stannis, for what happened all those years ago: you know I had nothing to do with how it all finished… Stannis – you were meant – you _are_ meant for great things. You can’t deny that your wife and daughter were holding you back…”

At the mention of his daughter, Stannis spoke louder: “Encase you misunderstood me before, I was merely trying to be courteous, so let me make myself clear: Leave. I have nothing to discuss with you.”

“We need to talk-“

Stannis was about to respond when a knock interrupted them.

 

_Fuck sake, who is it now_?!

 

Stannis roughly answered, without stopping glaring at Melisandre: “Enter!”

 

It took a few moments for Stannis to realize who had joined them – _Sansa_!

He felt a jolt in his stomach he couldn’t fully explain, but his face automatically relaxed as the young woman continued slowly walking more into the room.

“Oh Sansa … please come in…”

His stare then went back to the other red-head in its original coldness: “Don’t worry my visitor was just leaving.”

Just before crossing the threshold, Melisandre gave him one last look: “This isn’t finished Stannis.”

“I have nothing more to say to you Melisandre. Now, get out!” he replied furiously.

As she closed the door, Stannis finally sighed the breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding since she had come in. He sunk in to his chair, running his fingers over his face and through his hair.

 

_Every man shall reap what he has sown_ …

 

Sansa ‘s sweet voice brought him out of his thoughts: “Stannis… are you okay?... who… who was that?”

Unable to answer her question, not knowing how to start on the subject of Melisandre, Stannis sighed: “Sansaaa, you have no idea how amazing it is to see you. I’ve had the worse day. You are like a breath of fresh air.”

However it seemed that peace would evade him once more with her next question:

“Stannis, when were you going to tell me about Shireen?”

 

_What the…?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Dream- Flashback: Stannis: 24 - Robert: 34 – Ned: 35 – Gendry/Joffrey: 16 – Sansa: 15 – Shireen: 2/3
> 
> * [Flashback 1] – Stannis: 19 - Robert: 29 - Ned: 30 – Gendry/ Joffrey: 11 – Sansa: 10
> 
> * [Flashback 2] – When Stannis leaves RRI and Pentos, to get married, he is 20.


	18. A small pause...

Hello readers

 

Really sorry this is not another chapter. Having a little trouble with it tbh, but don't worry have not abandoned this story... love an ackward Stannis/Sansa story.

Stan-San should have a another 'interesting scene' very soon, and Stan is gonna explain his past with Melisandre/Selyse/Shireen to Sansa.... also lets not forget the Ned-Sansa convo.

 

anyway, thank you so much for all you support and comments on this story.

 

I've been getting into doing illustrations/ showing visuals for each of my stories, so decided to do one for this one as well.

 

Hope you like it. :)

 

[](http://s284.photobucket.com/user/shortsandramblings/media/Story%202_zpsuawzljbp.jpg.html)

 


	19. Sansa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stannis and Sansa talk about their pasts

 

**Sansa**

 

 

“Stannis, when were you going to tell me about Shireen?”

 

Stannis’s face went blank.

 

Realising what she had just said, and the way she had said it Sansa suddenly gasped, putting her hand over her mouth.

“I'm sorry that just came out – I’m sooo sorry, that was so rude of me...I don’t know what came over me... I- I... just forget what I just said... Arya has just thrown all these different things at me and I guess I just caught up in it all...I’m really sorry... I mean we’re not even really dating yet... and you have been nothing but supportive and so nice to me... and here I come, barging in and demand information about personal things in your life... Gods I can’t believe I just did that..I - I didn’t mean to sound sooo ... sooo...”

Sansa flushed embarrassed, trying to explain, she started talking even more quickly, babbling to his still stoic face in front of her:

“It's just that I just had this long chat with my sister and she was going on about Robert ...and then Gendry ...and then you ...and then she said Shireen and I was like _who's Shireen?_ …and then she was like _Stannis’s daughter_ , and my mind just started to buzz... and then I was like _shit! Stannis has a kid... Is Stannis married?_.... and I couldn’t take it anymore, I had to come here and hear your ... your explanation... Oh my... please... please tell me you’re not married. The whole way here I was wondering if I was starting some sordid affair with a married man... a married man with a _kid_...”

 

Sansa was engrossed in her babbling, hyper-ventilating a bit, that she hadn’t really picked up the fact that Stannis had risen from his from his desk chair, and had come to stand right in front of her. It was only when he softly placed his lips on hers that she was finally able to stop talking.

The kiss was soft and reassuring, and for a beautiful moment, Sansa forgot all the thoughts that had been running through her mind.

When he moved back, ending the kiss, Sansa’s blue eyes just stared back into his.

 

He spoke: “Sansa... no, I’m not married... I was married and had a child with my wife, before she died 7-8 years ago.”    Since Sansa didn’t respond, Stannis continued: “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Selyse or Shireen before, I probably should have. It would have been better hearing it from me. Would it be ok if I told some of it to you now?”

Sansa only nodded. – _His wife died?.... he’s a widower?.... Gods....no wonder he never dates... he’s probably still in love with his dead wife... Ohhh fuck and I’ve been trying to jump his bones all during the beach trip... Gods he really must think I’m some kind of floozy_...

 

Stannis, not knowing what was going on inside her brain, simply nodded: “Good. – but first there’s something else I quickly need to do, if you give me two seconds.”

 

Sansa again only nodded, the thoughts in her mind not wanting to shut up.

 

Stannis, open the door and called out: “Davos! Davos!”

 

The older, bearded man came into the office a few minutes later, looking sceptically between Stannis and Sansa. Ignoring his quizzical stare, Stannis asked him rather roughly:

“Davos please explain to me why Melisandre Ember was able to come into my office?”

Davos properly looking at Stannis, explained with a groan: “It would seem your brother’s lovely wife convinced him that Baratheon Industries should work with _Red R'hllor Incorporated_ _. I don’t think your brother realized – remembered - who exactly worked for RRI....”_

Sansa suddenly felt anger run through her at the thought that someone was trying to make Stannis’s life more difficult than it already was. She wanted to punch something- someone: - _Cersei – fucking-Lannister-Baratheon_! - Why couldn’t that bitch leave everyone alone?

 

Stannis sighed: “Ahhh fine... another thing to deal with tomorrow I guess... I’ll speak to you later Davos. After I’ve spoken with Robert.”

 

Davos nodded to his friend before quickly giving another curious look at Sansa and leaving, closing the door behind him.

 

“Sorry about that Sansa... I have a very ...complicated relationship with some people from RRI... namely the woman you just saw: Ms Melisandre Ember.” Shaking his head he moved away from the door.

“Anyway, enough about that. Let’s sit, and hopefully I can give you some clarity on my marriage, and my daughter Shireen.”

 

Still as silent, Sansa took the chair offered to her, and Stannis took one next to hers, as he tried to start to explain: “My marriage... my marriage with Selyse was.... well ...our marriage was similar to that of Robert’s...” properly thinking about his words he paused and backtracked:

“Well actually no... Selyse was nothing like Cersei... they were total opposites. Gods I don’t know what I would have done with someone like Cersei as a wife. For all her beauty, there is trickery and hate - beauty can be treacherous...”

Then he abruptly stopped as he looked at her and his neck went red.

 

 _Was that a supposed back-handed compliment_?

 

Stannis shook his head: “Gods I doing this all wrong.... What... what I’ve been trying to say is that my marriage was similar to that of my elder brother’s and your parents in the way that the first few date was... arranged... _greatly encouraged_ to lead to something more...”

A few things confused her with that statement, but Sansa couldn’t help but exclaim, jumping from her chair: “My parents had an arranged marriage?!”

Stannis looked at her in surprise and shock.

“Crap... I didn’t realise that... Ohh... Sansa... I thought ...” He sighed running his hands through his hair and face in frustration.

“I didn’t know that you ... didn’t know. I’m sorry. ... Did you never wonder why your parents married so young?... that your mother married your father not that long after your uncle’s tragic car accident?”

Sansa listened to his words but her ears were buzzing... her whole head was buzzing...she slumped in the chair as what Stannis had just told her sunk in: ... _Dad and Mom hadn’t loved each other when they first got together?... their marriage had been arranged?... What if Uncle Brandon hadn’t-_?

“-Sansa?”

A hand gently being placed on her’s, and Stannis softly whispering, calling out her name brought her away from the thoughts running through her mind.

 

Stannis’s blue stormy eyes looked into her Tully ones, his hands gently squeezing hers, trying to reassure her. But Sansa didn’t know what to say. She just stared back at him blankly; her lips parted a tiny bit. With all the revelations of the day, her mind seemed to have forgotten all coherent thought.

“Oh – Seven Hells! I need a drink. What a fucking day it’s been! Come on Sansa, grab- ... well you already have your coat on; let me just put mine on, and we’ll go somewhere to ... to properly talk about this.” Stannis exclaimed before moving back to his desk, and getting his stuff ready to leave.

 

Stannis had cursed and needed a drink... those were the two things that brought her out of her weird vibe moment.

 _Clearly he has had quite the day as well.._. Sansa thought as she remembered how drained he looked when she had first come into his office.

 

 _We should have stayed at the beach house_...

 

. . . . . . . . . . . .

 

After Stannis had collected all his stuff, they had gone into his car, and driven around until Stannis had brought them to a bar Sansa had never been to: ‘ _The Onion Knight’_.

Soon after they sat in the back, in a not-well-lit booth, a waitress took their orders: straight whiskey for Stannis, and a Limoncello Gin for her.

 

They both sat in silence for quite a while, even after their drink had arrived – and Stannis had order a second round.

Finally, unable to take the thoughts running through her mind any longer, Sansa took a large sip of her drink and then blurted: “I can’t believe their marriage was arranged!”

Stannis looked at her with sad eyes. He moved a little closer to her.

“Sansa, it doesn’t matter if it was or not. What matters is the fact that they love and care for each other now: I mean, your parents have probably one of the best marriages in the whole of Westeros, arranged or not. It ... it might not have started with loads of ... romance, but they were actually really lucky.

I mean Gods! One of the reasons my parents pushed me to marry Selyse is because of your parents’ marriage. They had already been married for over 10 years... already had your older brother, you, your sister, and even your younger brothers... by then your parents were _the_ couple... _the_ marriage... the prime example that an arranged marriages in highborn families could work. I mean there are others who work as well, but none as well as your parents: surely I shouldn’t feel the need to be telling you how fully devoted to each other and to you all they are?”

 

Sansa stayed quiet, processing what he had just said. He was right: her parents had a great marriage. They loved each other. They were perfect for each other. ... So what if it didn’t start with a fairy tale romance? ... _Those don’t really exist anyway_... Joffrey made sure she knew that.

Sighing, she finally spoke: “You’re right, I’m just being a silly romantic, like usual.”

Stannis gave her a small smile, as he gently placed his hands above hers. “There’s nothing wrong with being a romantic.”

 

Shaking her head, Sansa decided it best to change the subject – or more specifically change it back: “Anyways... you were saying your parents arranged your marriage, hoping it would be like my parents...”

Looking down at his drink, Stannis nodded: “That’s right. I had been working in Essos, doing an internship, when my father basically said it was time to come home... and meet my bride.”

Sighing he continued: “There’s something I must make you understand about Selyse... and I trust you to not repeat it...”

Sansa held his hand with a stronger grip: “Of course I won’t.”

Taking a large gulp from his drink, Stannis continued:

“Even before the wedding, Selyse was ... _fragile_... She had had a few health issues growing up, and well to be honest she probably wasn’t all that stable; her childhood had been quite depressing. Our few years of marriage weren’t great: I finished my internship at BI, and then finished my degree, and properly started working with my dad and older brother... needless to say, I probably wasn’t the most attentive husband. Things didn’t help that Selyse had several miscarriages, and blamed herself a lot for them. We made her see someone, I tried to be there for her...”

A small smile creped on his lips: “Then we had Shireen... Gods she was perfect... for me she was perfect. I’ll be honest, I never pictured myself really being a father, let alone to a daughter. But from the moment I saw her, I loved her.”

Unfortunately the small smile transformed into a frown: “I thoughts things were better for a while with Selyse, but ... but well it wasn’t...even with Shireen, Selyse was not better... in a way she was worse. She had post-natal depression, and was horrified she gave me a daughter instead of a son. All her miscarriages had been boys...”

 

Sansa shifted closer, properly embracing him, trying to comfort Stannis. Placing a hand on his cheek, she whispered “You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to.”

“No... no I need to talk about it. Davos is always encouraging me to talk about it. Robert and Renly know some of it... even your dad knows some of it ... but I’ve never properly talk about it.”

His stormy dark-blue eyes pierced into hers.

“I want to talk about it with you Sansa... I really care about you Sansa... I feel like... like I need to tell you... before... before anything happens between us.”

Staring back at him, Sansa gulped. She was scared. Not because he was freaking her out but because she felt the same... that she wanted to do the same thing: tell him about her ghosts – ghost: _Joffrey_.

Similar to the one he had given her earlier, Sansa softly placed her lips on his rough ones. She didnt care about the stubble of his cheeks, or the small taste of whiskey on his lips. As she kissed him, she tried to convey all that she was feeling, trying to make him understand, not in words, that she understood him, and wanted the same thing...

 

. . . . . . . . . . . .

 

They talked and drank until the bar closed. They drank so much that they just sat in his car, in the parking lot, long after the bar had closed, knowing that neither should drive with that much alcohol in their system.

They talked and talked... :

...They talked about his marriage. Stannis had confessed to her that he had had a relationship with Melisandre when he had interned at RRI... how even after his marriage, even after Shireen was born he had succumb to lust just once...

... How Selyse had killed herself when she had learnt about it, and had tried to kill Shireen in the process...

 

In return, Sansa had told him about her relationship with Joffrey...

... How at the beginning he had been the perfect boyfriend.

... Then slowly he had become more and more condescending, then he had started being controlling needing to know where she was at all times...

... How finally he had hit her one evening ... how then he had grabbed her wrist so hard, not wanting her to ran away that he had broke it...

... She couldn’t even remember why he had been angry with her... she just remembered the way she had felt... she had felt broken... undeserving...

 

... They talked till 3 in the morning, till they realized they both had work, and university the next day.

 

. . . . . . . . . .

 

It was just before 4am when Sansa finally got home.

 

Just as she walked through the front door, not trying to do any noise, she decided to check her phone. – _Fuck_!

 

It had been on silent, so now she had several missed calls from Margery, Robb and Arya, even one from Jeyne, and another from Jon.

She also had several unread messages.

 

She decided to read the several Arya sent first:

 

‘ ** _Holy Shit Sansa! SHIT HAS HIT THE FAN!!!’_**

 

**_‘ How culd you and Stan been soo stupid! R’s already on a war path! Especially since he cant find u’_ **

 

**_‘ – Wer the fuck r u?? Y rnt u answering ur phone?’_ **

 

**_‘please tell me ur not fucking Stan B at the mmt?’_ **

 

**_‘Great now I have that picture in my head, thx big sis - NOT!’_ **

 

 

As Sansa moved further into her flat, she was so engrossed in reading and trying to make sense of the texts that she didn’t see Margery running towards her.

“Oh My Gods – Old and New – Sansa! WHAT THE FUCK?!”

“Marg?! What are you doing up at this time?”

“Really? And what about you? Where have you been? – Actually I can guess, which is why-“

 _Slap_!

Margery gave her a small slap on the back of the head.

Sansa cried out in protest: “HEY! What the fuck was that for?”

Margery just pointed back at her: “You...that’s what that was for: You and your older-man: you two really need to be more careful!? ... Well... no one knew for like three months... but still ... one slip up and well... Now THIS!”

Sansa looked at her in confusion.

“What are you talking about M? ... Sorry about the missed calls: phone was on silent. What’s going on?”

 

Margery stopped babbling for a second, and look at Sansa in shock-surprise:

“You mean you don’t know? ... Really? But everyone knows?... Well everyone who follows ‘ _The Mockingbird’s little birds_ ’... Robb even came here, demanding to see you, when you weren’t answering your phone. – Oh which makes me really want to ask where really have you been missy?”

Sansa continued to give her a blank stare, being pretty sure what Margery was saying didn’t make any sense... _Urrggg - why did I drink so much with Stan_?

“Marg – please: breathe and explain what you are talking about, and why would my stupid big brother drive across town and barge in here?”

 

Sighing, Margery went to the living room, and retrieved her I-Pad from the coffee table. Not even changing from the page she was currently on, she just flipped the page to the start of an article of the gossip site: ‘ _The Mockingbird’s little birds_ ’.

Sansa looked down at it:

 

**_‘It’s always the quiet ones you need to be careful about...’_ **

Below there was two pictures: one of a younger Stannis and the red-head – _Melisandre-_ in a hot embrace, and the other one was a picture from last night: of Stannis with Sansa, at the bar, sitting really... really close, looking as if they were about to devour each other.

 

As she started reading the first lines of the article, Sansa realised nothing goes according to plan... cos life was a bitch...

 

 _... yep...we definitely should have stayed at that beach house_...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder of the ages of everyone in this fic, plus a few new ppl:
> 
> Davos: 52  
> Ned : 43  
> Robert/ Catelyn: 42  
> Cersei/ Jaime: 40  
> Stannis: 32  
> Renly: 28  
> Robb/Jon/Loras: 25  
> Gendry/ Joffrey/ Margery: 24  
> Sansa: 23  
> Arya:19  
> Bran: 17  
> Rickon: 14  
> Shireen:10/11ish


	20. Stannis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hung-over, tired Stannis gets a very early house visit

**Stannis**

 

 

 _Boom, boom, boom_...

 

Stannis woke up to pounding at his door.

 

 _What is going on_?

 

His head was throbbing from last night – from the alcohol and the lack of sleep.

_Gods how much did we drink?... why did I drink sooo much?...Oh yea cos of fucking Melisandre... those fucking Lannisters Cersei and Joffrey... and me wanting to sleep with Ned’s daughter..._

 

Davos was right: he definitely needed a real holiday.

 

Trying to properly wake up, his eyes gritty from lack of sleep, Stannis heard the pounding again... reminding him what had first woke him up...

He looked at his clock:

5:30. – _Fuck..._ he had barely slept an hour....

Well he needed to wake and get ready for work soon any way... might as well see who was pounding at his door so early.

 

He opened the door, and barely a moment later was punched in the face-

- _BAM_!

And then Stannis proceeded to fall on the floor.

 

 _Great start to the day_...

 

“Where is she? What have you done with Sansa you old bastard?! Is she here?! SANSA?!”

 

_What the...?_

Looking up from where he had fallen, it took Stannis a few moments to recognise Robb Stark standing above him, his face shinning red in anger, and with a right hand that already looked like it was starting to swell.

Robb Stark was about to yell at him some more, when a small voice made them both turn their heads.

 

“D-daddy?... daddy who is that man? ... Why is he hurting you?”

Shireen’s soft scared voice and her teary eyes nearly tore him apart.

 

Ignoring Robb Stark, he quickly got up from the floor – a little too quickly, as he felt the blood rush back up to his brain.

Shaking himself, Stannis quickly went to his daughter, kneeling in front of her, and softly whispered to her, as he wiped her tears and softly stroked her hair: “It’s ok sweetie... it’s nothing... it’s just a small misunderstanding... you know like the ones Uncle Robert and I have... we yell at each other but no one is actually in any danger, just men being stupid...”

 

 _... Except that Robert never punched me in the fucking face when I barely woke up and couldn’t really defend myself_...

 

Shireen offered him a small smile, as her tears started to dry: “Like Marya always says: ‘Men can’t stop being silly, it’s in their blood’?”

Stannis couldn't help but smile in return: “That’s right... Marya is a smart woman, you should listen to her.”

After giving her a quick peck on the cheek, he took her hand and stood up.

“Come on, I’ll pore you a glass of water, and then you can sleep a little longer, ok?”

“Ok... but what about...?” Shireen asked weakly looking at Robb Stark.

Not even giving the Stark boy a glance, Stannis herded his daughter towards the kitchen. “Don’t worry about him.”

 

Thankfully, Robb didn’t say anything the whole time, as Stannis and his daughter left the entrance, lounge area for the kitchen. Whilst she drank, Stannis clicked his nose back into place, washed his face from the blood, before taking out a pack of frozen peas.

 _Fucking Stark...couldn’t he have punched me in the stomach instead.... or not punch me at all_...

 

He then proceeded to pour himself a glass and take some pain killers.

When Shireen placed the now empty glass on the counter, Stannis took her hand once more and brought her back to her room.

 

. . .

 

When Stannis finally got back to the main living space, he wasn’t sure if Robb Stark had actually moved. The front door was now at least closed, but the young man was still standing in the same place, and still had a dumb look on his face, like he had just swallowed a fish that didn’t agree with him.

 

“Robb. I would say it’s a pleasure to see you, but I think we both know I would be lying. Can I ask why the impromptu visit? And the punch to the face?” – In his mind he added mockingly: _I assume you know about me and your sister, but let’s not jump to any conclusions_...

The sound of Stannis’s voice, or maybe the fact that he had actually been addressed, seemed to have woken Robb from his daze.

“You have a daughter?”

Looking quickly back down at the corridor leading to Shireen’s room, Stannis answered sarcastically: “Very observant. – Yes, it would seem so. I feel that you have something you want to say with me. However, as you have so studiously pointed out: my daughter, Shireen, is sleeping only a few doors down. Which is one of the reasons I will ask you to keep your voice and tone at a civilised level. “

Robb, still looking sceptically between the corridor and Stannis, gave a curt nod: “O-of course.”

Sighing and reaching for a chair, Stannis sat down, and placed the frozen pack on his face. “Now, could you please tell me why you are here?”

From above the pack of peas, Stannis saw Robb shift into the living area, and also sit down, a scowl on his face: “I- I thought Sansa was here... with you...”

Grinding his teeth, in frustrations, and from lack of sleep, Stannis replied: “And why would you think that?...- Also how did you know where I lived?”He added, even more annoyed at the realisation.

“Trust me... your address wasn’t easy to find... took me ages to find it [- _I should hope so_ ]. When Sansa wasn’t answering my text, or calls, and she wasn’t at her flat... after that _fucking_ article... well I just ... assumed she was.... with you... doing _things_...” Robb grumbled as his face turned red.

Stannis put the pack down in confusion. He frowned: “What article? – When did you call Sansa... or go to her apartment? And all this still doesn’t answer the reason why you thought she was here?!”

Robb became more agitated, moving his arms about:

“That stupid article about you... _you_ and that red-head woman... and about _you_... _you_ and Sansa... Theon showed it to me late last night, it had just popped up on the site... Theon had spat his drink when he had started to read it... then he.... then he could stop laughing like a maniac as I read it! It talks all about how _you_ cheated on _your_ wife, and now _your_ seducing students a decade younger than _you_... After I saw it, I tried calling Sansa, _several_ times, so then I went to her flat... she wasn’t there... so then I decided to find _you_! To get answers from someone! Margery wouldn’t give me anything, said she didn’t know where Sansa was... took me bloody ages to find your address. Had to go to dad’s office and look through his files – Gods he’s gonna be pissed when he sees....”

Robb shook his head, before growling once more at Stannis: “Anyway: now I want answers. What have _you_ done to _my_ sister?”

Stannis frowned: “I haven’t done anything to your sister.” [– _yet...]_ “And what are you talking about: an article about _me_?... _me_ and _Sansa_?”

“The Mockingbird article! On that Gossip Site!”

Stannis scoffed: “You believe the drivel written on that website?”

Robb’s eyes narrowed: “It had pictures. Of _you_ and ...Mee... M-something... and then one of _you_ and _Sansa_ in a bar... looking really _cozy_. Definitely did _not_ look like you were talking about her _thesis_.”

 

Stannis brain started buzzing : the article had pictures of him and Melisandre, and him and Sansa....? Robb said they were in a bar. That meant it had probably been taken last night... but nothing had happened last night... _thank gods they didn’t have pictures from the beach trip_...

 

Stannis rumbled his temples, thinking about the situation...Sansa had warned how protective Robb was of her... and he definitely didn’t want to clearly state his intentions to Robb Stark before Sansa had had her chat with her father....

 

Deciding to say the truth, but not the _whole_ truth, Stannis spoke calmly: “I should probably have a look at this nonsense of an article, but anyway: You say there were pictures... two pictures, right? One of me with a woman with red hair, and another one with me and Sansa in a bar?”

Robb nodded, still frowning. – _It’s a good thing the boy is at least somewhat calm and rational... if it had been Robert, things would definitely be different_...

 

“Well first of all, without having seen this article, I assume that the first picture is me with Melisandre... a woman from my _past_ , who I had seen briefly before my marriage, and who helped cause quite a lot of pain and problems for my family... but that was nearly a decade ago and a _family matter_... As for the picture with Sansa, I can only assume it was taken last night.”

When Robb started jumping from his chair, Stannis put his hand up:

“Let me finish. During our tutorials, Sansa and I have talked about our families... our over-bearing brothers [ _giving Robb a pointed look_ ], our problems at work, and university. – I had a similar relationship with your dad when he helped me with my thesis [ _Well maybe not the exact same relationship..._ ]

... Anyways, last night she came to see me because she was upset [ _which was true_ ]... we talked about her ex-boyfriend, my nephew, Joffrey [ _well they **had** talked about that fuck-turd Joffrey, it had just been one of many subjects...so that wasn’t really a lie_ ] Since he is my family, and Sansa has shared some of her past problems with me, and has a more understanding relationship with me than my brother Robert, she came to me for help...”

 

Robb stayed silent for a few moments, contemplating what Stannis had just told him.

Still frowning, not convinced he asked: “... but why were you at a _bar_?”

Sighing, Stannis replied: “I admit that maybe a bar wasn’t the best place, but since we had both had quite a long and exhausting day... and were there to help her with her problem, not work on her thesis, a _public_ place to relax seemed like a good option at the time.”

 

 _... Gods please make him believe me_...

 

Robb’s eyes narrowed on his, as if he was trying to figure out if Stannis was lying: “so... _nothing_ has happened between Sansa and you?”

“No.” – _Not really... just me forcing my tongue down her throat a few times, and groping her... PG-13 stuff_...

“And nothing will ever happen between you?...” Robb asked hopefully, his eyes still narrowed.

 

Stannis sighed, not wanting to lie: “I can’t promise something that I have no control over.” ... _all the control is in Sansa... and Ned’s hands_...

Robb didn’t seem to like his answer, as his grimace intensified.

 

He was about to add something, when there was another pounding at the door.

“Gods! Its barely six!? Do people not know rest and privacy!?” Stannis exclaimed as he got out of his chair.

 

Finally, reaching the door, he opened it to a very frazzled Sansa Stark.

“Stannis! Thank the Old Gods your awake! There’s this artic- _Oh my gosh_! What happened to your face?!? Who the fuck did this to you?!” She exclaimed in shock, noticing the swollen nose, and softly placing her fingers on the bruise.

 

Both Robb and Stannis answered at the same time:

“Your brother.”

“Sansa, why are you here?!”

 

That’s when Sansa noticed her brother standing behind Stannis, looking very irritated and agitated.

 

Stannis could help but note her eyes scorching a deeper blue, when she noticed her brother:

“Robb?! What the Fuck are _YOU_ doing here? And why did you punch Stannis?!”

 


	21. The Mockingbird’s little birds - ‘It’s always the quiet ones you need to be careful about...’

 

** The Mockingbird’s little birds **

**‘It’s always the quiet ones you need to be careful about...’**

Published at 11:52pm, on Wednesday 12TH day of the First Summer Month, 1521 AC

 

[Photo 1] [– a young Stannis with Melisandre in a hot embrace] caption: ‘ _Talk about office relations with Mrs Robinson! A young Stannis Baratheon with his previous boss, Ms Melisandre Ember’_

[Photo 2] [- Stannis and Sansa in a bar, sitting really close, his hand holding hers] caption: ‘ _University students: young, innocent minds ready to learn about the wonders of the world ... unfortunately not always from a recommended source. Stannis Baratheon, with a young student, Miss Sansa Stark, in a bar late in the evening.’_

 

 

**_My_** _little birds have twitted many stories on the Baratheon men, more specifically regarding Robert and Renly Baratheon._ _We all know about Robert Baratheon’s antics, usually of the sexual variety – the many before and after his marriage to Cersei Lannister._ _And let’s not forget the youngest Baratheon brother and his known particular tastes._

_On the other hand, not much is said – or known – about the middle child, of the high-born family: Stannis Baratheon. Unlike his brothers, he is known to be very diligent in the family’s billion dollar company. Stannis Baratheon has always been in the background, never much one for parties, or socialising. Perhaps he has the restrain that his brothers lack?_

_The only thing that one could possibly reproach him is the company he keeps. His closest friend, Davos Seaworth, is a known ex-smuggler, and is now also his right man in most of Mr Baratheon’s deals in Baratheon Industries. Many of the company’s board members have already voiced a few concerns on this matter._

_... But who am I to question company staff policies; Stannis is ready to do anything and everything to achieve anything but the best when it comes to Baratheon Industries._

_However his personal investment in the company is to the point where we could be verging on the term ‘workaholic’, and the man has, on several occasions, been accused of needing ‘control’ in all things; the name ‘control-freak’ has been mentioned._

_Insiders have stated:_

_"He is bossy and demanding ... Asking beyond the standard requirements of a normal boss ... has to be in control of everything at all times..."_

_“... He’s like a machine: he never stops, never takes a holiday...”_

_Alternatively, looking into the silent Baratheon’s past, you can't help but wonder if he is really so different from his two brothers?_

_My little birds have recently found out that barely an adult, a young Stannis Baratheon did an internship in a company in Essos. We expect nothing less: even at a young age he was known to be dedicated to his work ... Or maybe a little too dedicated when apparently he started sleeping with a Ms Melisandre Ember, his boss and a woman fourteen years his senior. [Refer to photo above]_

_I can’t help but state this feels like **‘The Graduate’** meets ‘ **Working Girl’** (or **Guy** in this case...)_

_We should maybe also point out that Mr Baratheon did, unfortunately, continue his liaison with Ms Ember even after his marriage. - Baratheon men don’t seem to take their marriage vows very seriously._

_In recent years, Stannis has kept his nose down, only really going between home, work and the university. We can only assume, and hope, that the passing of his wife – or his past indiscretion - made him repentant, and focused on duty._

_However the continual visits to King’s University do hold to question what he does there? What is so interesting about corporate mergers and acquisitions that Stannis Baratheon wants to talk about it even outside of the office?_

_Or is it something else?_

_My little birds and I couldn’t help but wonder, and speculate, if there is an ulterior reason for his quite secretive life style?_

_Stannis Baratheon is a billionaire who, as we pointed out earlier, is a workaholic who likes to be in **control** in all aspect of his life, and is quite **guarded**. Looking at these credentials, I can’t help but make a slight connection to the world of fiction once more. More specifically to one of last year’s best sellers  Fifty Shades of Grey by Nymeria Sand, where the leading male character, Christian Grey, is also a somewhat reclusive yet successful and wealthy young entrepreneur... who just so happens to be a great enthusiast of the BDSM world... (All fiction comes from somewhere.)_

_Now , a lot of you will think this assumption is ludicrous..._

_... And part of me would probably agree with you._

_... And yet you also have to wonder, why is our thirty-something billionaire so secretive? What does **he** have to hide? ... His brothers sure don’t hide much (- remember Renly’s nude drunken spree at the beach last summer)._

_Moreover, lets also look at this from a different angle: what is there more of on a university campus other than students... young, innocent minds ready to learn about the wonders of the world ... and unfortunately more easily prey to older, more experienced tutors and donors to the school._

_In comes into the picture our very own real life ‘Anastasia Steele’: the much younger and quite innocent university student Miss Sansa Stark (- yes, that’s right, she is still in school)._

_Officially, it has been acknowledged that Mr Baratheon has been helping Miss Stark with her final year thesis, mainly through **private** tutoring sessions. - Yes, you and I both remember those ‘study sessions’ when we were at university. Though I never remember them being at a bar over candle-light? [Refer to photo above]_

 

_Stannis Baratheon is known to like a challenge in the business world. Could we presume that his thrill for success in tricky situations goes beyond the **mergers** of the office?..._

_Miss Sansa Stark, even if clearly a beautiful young lady, has been known to be very studious, and in consequence, very cautious and particular when it comes to relationship with the members of the opposite gender. Her last serious boyfriend was her high-school sweetheart, and the school’s prom-king, Joffrey Baratheon. I do not hold her cautiousness against her at all. I actually applaud Miss Stark’s restrain in this ever growing sex-manic world._

_However I would like to point out that to any possible predator, she would seem like the ‘ultimate challenge’._

_I also forgot to mention earlier that Mr Stannis Baratheon is none other than Joffrey Baratheon’s uncle, and the two have a very difficult relationship. I will let the reader decide how he would like to interpret that little tweet._

_Looking through all this information, it would make a parent want pay more attention to who their young daughter was socialising with. In this situation, surely Miss Stark’s father, a professor of the university, would be wary of this association. We all know Professor Eddard Stark as honourable as they come._

_But maybe a tad naive? Or at least we can’t help but wonder if Professor Stark has just a little too bit of a soft spot - or is blind - when it comes to Baratheon men. (He only seems mildly reproachful to Robert Baratheon’s extra-marital relations.)_

 

_Yet one can only hope that if Professor Stark truly knew his ex-student’s past and possible personal inclinations, he probably wouldn’t be as lenient in letting Stannis Baratheon have ‘ **private tutoring lessons’** with his daughter._

 


	22. Sansa

Sansa

 

Her gaze going from Stannis’s face to Robb, Sansa felt the anger flare within her.

“Robb?! What the Fuck are _YOU_ doing here? And why did you punch Stannis?!”

 

Just as her brother opened his mouth, about to respond, Sansa raised her hand up to stop him. She growled: “Actually I don’t care for your excuse, stay here – or hopefully Stannis will rightfully decide to kick you out of his house – but DO. NOT. Follow us: I’m going to make sure Stannis’s nose is ok.”

Turning to Stannis, she tried to calm herself, as she spoke to him: “Stannis lead me to your bathroom.”

Sansa could see the vein pulse along Robb’s neck; as he was reeling in front of her... trying to contain the anger ready to explode from within him. After a moment of silence, he just growled: “Fine. But you better leave the fucking door open!”

 

Stannis looked between the two, before nodding and leading her further into his place.

 

Finally she reached the bathroom and - as if she knew the place inside out, instead of the reality of being in Stannis’s house for the first time - Sansa went to the mirrored cupboards, and started looking through them, for the required bandages and anti-inflammatory and antiseptic cream.

Turning back around, she saw him standing there looking at her. It reminded her of how this whole mess had started: the two of them in Robert Baratheon’s bathroom. – _talk about déjà-vu_...

 

With a wet towel in her had, Sansa stepped closer to him and whispered as she more thoroughly cleaned the blood from his face: “Are you alright?... does it hurt?”

His face twitched when she accidentally pressed to hard against the ridge of his nose. In a gruff voice, he softly whispered back: “Its fine... just caught me by surprise... fucking idiot punched just as I opened the door...”

Sansa growled in frustration at her brother’s hot-headedness.

As she started applying the creams, she tried to apologise: “I’m sorry this is happening to you Stannis... I’m sorry for my stupid brother... for that stupid article... for asking for your help with Margery...”

Stannis delicately placed his hand on hers, making her stop her movements. His stormy blue eyes pierced into her soft Tully ones, as he whispered: “I have a feeling I’d better read this article everyone is going on about... and I’m probably not going to like what it says... but Sansa, trust me when I say: nothing, and I mean _nothing_ , will make me regret helping you out.” With a small blush, he added in a gruff voice: “... or regret what happened at the beach house.”

 

At his statement, Sansa felt the heat rising on her own cheeks, as her eyes couldn’t leave his. They continued to stare at each other in silence, both wondering who would make a move first... or who would break eye-contact first.

 

 ** _\- Beep-beep-beep... Beep-beep-beep... Beep-beep-beep_**...

 

The sound of an alarm going off broke the tension.

Stannis quickly moved away from her. Not looking at her, he said in a strained voice: “That’s... that’s my morning alarm... for me to wake up...I’lll... hum... I’ll go stop it...”

And then he was out the door.

 

Sansa sighed as she righted herself, and left the bathroom to go back into the living room. It was the sound of Robb’s voice growling at her that properly broke her from her reverie: “Why are you here?”

A little startled, having forgotten for a sweet moment that her brother was here as well, Sansa jumped.

Regaining control of herself, Sansa moved further into the room and looked at her brother.

“Stannis is fine... thanks for asking” Sansa replied sarcastically.

“Don’t you sass me, Sansa. Tell me why you are here? As a matter fact how do you know where Stannis lives?” Robb asked, his gaze narrowing on her.

Thinking quickly on her feet, Sansa replied : “I sometimes look after Shireen, Stannis’s daughter, when he has a long day at the office, and Gendry is unavailable. You remember what babysitting entails right?”

Her anger that had dissipated when she was in the bathroom, came back: “But this doesn’t explain your very early visit to Mr Baratheon’s house, Robb: Why were you here? And why did you feel the need to punch him?”

He looked sheepishly away, like a little kid knowing he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. Looking down at his lap Robb grumbled: “I was just having a discussion with Stannis about something...”

Sansa scoffed: “Something...? Really...? Would that _something_ be that stupid article on that trash website Theon loves to read?- For the record, I came here because Margery just showed me that horrible article, and I wanted to make sure Stannis was okay, and not about to be side tracked/ derailed by going to the office today and wondering why everyone was probably going to be staring at him in a strange way. All because he has been helping me out with my thesis!”

Robb’s gaze went back on her like whip-lass: “ _Just_ your thesis? _Really_?”

Sansa looked at him in confusion: “Wh-what do you mean?”

Thankfully that’s when Stannis decided to re-join them: “I had to explain to Robb about our meeting last night... how you came for my help, all upset, about the Joffrey situation ...”

 

 _Of course... that bloody picture in that stupid ...stupid article_ ...

\- Gods this was a mess... and it was all her fault.

 

Stannis spoke again: “I’m sorry if I’m being rude but I need to get ready for work... and I need to make sure Shireen gets ready for school-“

Sansa looked at his with panic in her voice, and couldn’t help but interrupt: “-Stannis you can’t go out there! You can’t go to work today. There will probably be a few reporters outside BI Tower, ready to hound you! - No place loves a juicy story, especially a sex scandal, more than Kings Landing! Hells, all the PAs and gossips of your office will probably look at you like you are some kind of sex fiend!”

Stannis frowned at her: “Why?... is it this damned article again?”

Frustration growing inside her, Sansa exclaimed : “Yes! Of course it that _fucking_ bloody article!? Where’s your tablet? – you should probably read it before you do anything else today.”

 

. . .

 

 

There was silence.

 

Both Sansa and Robb sat there trying not to look directly at Stannis whilst he read the article about himself.

From the corner of her eye, she noted all his different reactions: the frowning, the grinding of his teeth, his knuckles going white... it just became worse and worse to watch. And it was all because of her.

Because of her... the Mockingbird... her own stupid brother who believed enough of the article to come and punch Stannis in the face... even _fucking_ Margery... especially _fucking_ Margery...

Thinking about the article, Sansa frowned thinking about who could have possibly written it? The gossip site always talked about the latest story... sex scandal... but it had never been so vicious in its attack on someone... which made her think the article was a more personal attack on Stannis?

But who would have a grudge against Stannis?

Then she scoffed at her own question: Stannis was one of the most ruthless businessman in Westeros... he didn’t stop until BI had what he felt it deserved. Of course he had a few enemies in the business world. But for someone hate him so much as to write such an article...?

 

The silence was finally broken. -

 

– Not by Stannis though...but by a young girl with long dark hair, still in her pink pyjamas, coming into the room. Rubbing her eyes, she looked from Stannis, to Robb and then to Sansa. Still looking a little sleepy, she gave a sheepish smile to Sansa.

Even if she could already guess who the girl was, it was when she looked back into the little girl’s eyes, recognising Stannis’s blue eyes, that Sansa stopped breathing – _Shireen..._

 

Sansa’s breathing had stopped because of the many different things running through her mind: the fact that Stannis was probably about to have a break down, in front of the person he cared about the most in the world... that she was seeing his daughter for the first time, when she hadn’t heard of her until yesterday... that Robb was still here, and Sansa had literally just told him that she sometimes babysitted Shireen...

 

 _Fuckkkk – Today is really one big shit storm ready to explode_...

 

However, clearly not realising the horror going on within Sansa, Shireen came closer to her, her cheeks going a little pink, and spoke in the sweetest voice Sansa had ever heard: “Hello Sansa.”

 

Sansa breath hitched.

_Hello Sansa_

_... Sansa_

Her name had never sounded so strange...

Shireen knew her name... there was only one possible reason why Shireen would know her name... and know that _she_ was Sansa...

Sansa felt her heart skip a beat - _Stannis has talked about me to his daughter_?

Looking up from the young girl, she met the same stormy blue eyes, and realised Stannis was looking at her. More specifically he had been witnessing at the interaction happening between his daughter and her.

The tablet seemed to be forgotten in his hand, as his gaze moved between Shireen and Sansa, as if he was trying to figure out what Sansa was thinking.

 

The world coming back down around her, Sansa looked back down at Shireen and gave her the most brilliant smile.

– The smile that knew that even if things today were fucked up... Stannis had talked to his daughter about her, and _that_ was the best thing to know at barely seven in the morning on a Thursday.

 

“Come on Shireen, let’s get you ready for school. You can show me all your pretty dresses and we’ll decide which one is best for today.”

 

. . .

 

Whilst they had been in Shireen’s room, the girl had first been very shy, only saying a few words to Sansa. Probably wondering how Sansa would react to her. However by the time they had figured out the dress, the socks and the shoes she would wear, she wouldn’t stop talking.

After Sansa had helped Shireen get dressed, both Robb and her prepared some breakfast for her. Sansa was grateful that Robb didn’t say anything and seemed to be just going along with what was happening, as Shireen talked to Sansa about school, about the books she read, about Aegon the Conqueror and his two sisters, about the dragons they rode...

All this time, a small part of Sansa was always conscientious of where Stannis was in the house, and what he was doing...

Since reading the article he had barely said two words to any of them. Instead he had gone back to his room, taken a shower, and had gotten ready for work. During breakfast Sansa had heard him talking on the phone with someone, but when he finally came out, he gave no indication of the conversation.

Instead he came up to Sansa, and had pulled her to the side.

 

Running his fingers roughly though his hair, he whispered: “Sansa, would it be terrible for me to ask that you to drop Shireen at her school this morning? I-I’ll give you the address and directions... it’s just ...there are... I... I have to go to the office earlier than expected....-“

Her heart tearing to pieces, Sansa placed her hand on his, and quickly reassured him: “-Of course. Anything.”

“Good.” He sighed, relieved.

Sansa looked at him for a moment before whispering: “Stannis are you-“

But, unfortunately, he turned away from her: “- Well I better finish getting my things together... I’ll quickly call the school to let them know... and I’ll write down the address. And then we can all head out.”

 

. . .

 

 

The car ride to Shireen’s school hadn’t been very eventful. It was just mainly Shireen continuing to talk to Sansa as if they had known each other their whole lives. Sansa wondering what was happening with Stannis. Robb staying silent in the back seat.

Sansa was also relieved that the teacher with whom Sansa had left Shireen with hadn’t said anything in particular to her. She had looked at Sansa with mild interest but hadn’t done anything else.

 

One the way back towards the city and campus, Sansa drove whilst Robb sat next to her.

After ten minutes or so of silence, Robb finally spoke: “So are we going to talk about it... this ... this _thing_ , between you and Stannis Baratheon?”

Sansa sighed: “Robb... there really isn’t anything to say... he has helped me out with work and with Joffrey... and now it has backfired in his face and it’s all my fault. You saw how he was this morning... Gods! I was so afraid that he was going to break down or blow up in front of his daughter... I feel horrible! He doesn’t deserve any of this...”

“I know I kind of feel sorry for him now...”

Sansa eyed him quickly before staring back at the road, scoffing in frustration: “Really? You feel sorry for him _now_? After you _punched_ him?”

“Gods Sansa!... I don’t know what to say?! Yes, it was a stupid thing to do but this thing with you two has been bugging me for the last three weeks! And then there was the article... and it made me think of Joffrey... and then I just saw _red_... plus you hadn’t answered your phone all night! Why di-”

 

\- That’s when Sansa heard her phone ring.

 

Looking at the caller ID, she paled. ‘ ** _MOM'_** ’

 

“Shit! Robb: Please tell me you didn’t tell mom about that article?”

Noticing who was calling her as well, Robb also started to breathe a little more heavily. “Gods no! I swear Sansa...”

Unable to ignore the rigging and prolong the inevitable, Sansa put the phone on speaker, and forced her voice to sound casual.

“Hi mom, how’s it going? Robb and I were just about to have breakfast together...”

Thankfully Robb decided to play along as he called out: “Hi mom.”

 

The somewhat strained voice at the other end didn’t reassure Sansa one bit: “Hi Robb... _Sansa_...”

There was an awkward pause, before her mother continued: “Sansa... darling... is ... is there anything you would like to tell me?... I was just arriving at the office when I ran into Petyr Baelish... he ... seemed very concerned about you... he ... he showed me this article-“

“-Oh mom, please tell me you didn’t actually believed the crap they wrote about Mr Baratheon? Please...?...”

When there was no response on the other end, Sansa continued: “ _Gods_ mom, dad and you have known him most of his life!... dad was his professor!... his tutor during university! Really mom!?”

The tone of her mom’s voice sounded more sheepish when she finally replied: “Well ... I didn’t know what to think... It’s just that your father came home drunk a few days ago ... and now this... and you know Robert Baratheon’s tendencies _[...]_ ”

 

Sansa felt her headache growing: yesterday Arya had relieved a whole story on her, she had met Stannis’s ex very briefly, she had drank till the early hours last night with him, she hadn’t slept, some asshole had trashed him, her brother had punched him, she had met his daughter...

Sighing, Sansa cut her mother’s rambling:“-Listen mom, I’ve had the craziest last 24h... I’m coming to Winterfell Manor for the weekend: do you mind if we continue this discussion properly tomorrow night, or Saturday?”

“Of course not dear... I’m sorry to have disturbed your breakfast over something so foolish. We’ll talk properly this weekend.”

“Great mom. Thanks. I love you.”

“I love you too, sweety. And you too Robb.”

“Love you mom.”

 

. . .

 

 

After dropping Robb off at his flat, Sansa had spent the rest of the day in her own flat. Mainly trying to recuperate from the last 24 hours, but also ignoring the outside world.

When she had gotten home, she had been surprised that Margery wasn’t there. Sansa had expected her to hound Sansa with more questions about Stannis and her, and about the article. Relieved that she was alone, Sansa had just sunk into bed and fell asleep.

 

. . .

 

 

 _BANG! BANG! BANG_!

 

Sansa was pulled out of a dream where she was hunting a big fat bird by the sound of banging...

 

... Banging at her front door.

 

Groggily, she got out of bed, and went for the entrance. She opened the door to find a murderous looking Robb.

 

“ _Nothing_ going on between you and Stannis Baratheon?!? _REALLY_?!”

 

_What the...?_

 

Without waiting for her to respond, Robb pushed himself inside her flat, and turned to look at her once more.

“You really think I'm an idiot, don't you? I _knew_ it! I knew there was something going between you and fuck face Baratheon!?”

His tone then slowly went from angry to wounded: “But _three_ _months_ Sansa! Three _fucking_ months! I'm Robb! Your brother!? The one you came to when you wanted to play Florian and Jonquil... who would save the lemon tarts for you... you came to me when ... when Joffrey...” His words trailed off for a moment before his eyes shown in outrage when he added: “ _Arya_ fucking knew about before _me_!?!?”

 

Then he thrust papers at her.

Still very much confused, Sansa looked at what he had just thrown at her: the evening newspaper, **_The Late Landing Times_**. It had already been folded onto page six, assuming that’s where she should be looking.

Skimming through the page it didn’t take her long to see what Robb was referring to: the WHOLE page was about Stannis:... about his thesis at King’s University... his work at Baratheon Industries... his sponsorship of several Charities... but the main article, with several pictures included couldn’t be missed: in bold black letters she read: ‘ ** _Jealous much_**?’ by Margery Tyrell.

 

 _Oh Margery what have you done now_?...

 


	23. The Late Landing Times - Page 6 – The Social Column

 

**_ The Late Landing Times _ **

Thursday 13TH day of the First Summer Month, 1521 AC

 

**Page 6 – The Social Column**

Note from Column Editor Margery Tyrell:

_Very recently_ (very late last night) _a known gossip site published a quite vicious article on a well-known yet quite private Westerosi businessman: Mr Stannis Baratheon._

_While some_ (a very small amount) _of the 'facts' were correct, most were at best gross exaggerations and at worse pure fiction (_ if I were Stannis Baratheon, I would have been inclined to sue for liable).

_Mr Stannis Baratheon, being a man of commendable character, rose above and ignored these appalling allegations, and bravely went to work to face the unjust reprimand of not only the scandal press but gullible gossip mongers_.

_Unfortunately for ‘The Mockingbird’, a few of us here at the_ **Late Landing Times** _, including myself, are not above such things_.

_This is why for today’s edition of the_ **Social Column** _of the_ **Late Landing Times** _will be dedicated to Mr Stannis_ _Baratheon_ _to hopefully set the record straight about his person_. _In addition to looking into his past and present accomplishments, the main article of tonight’s page 6_ (written by myself, Margery Tyrell) _will clarify us readers on most_ (- everyone needs a bit of privacy people!) _of Stannis_ _Baratheon_ _'s character outside the world of business and his relationship with Miss Sansa Stark_.

Side Articles Include: ‘ _An Idiot’s guide to Mr Baratheon’s University Thesis_ ’; ‘ _Baratheon Industries – Stannis Baratheon’s Resume_ ’; ‘ _The Benevolence of the Baratheon Family – A look into the different charities the Baratheon brothers founded’_.

 

_ The Main Article: _

**_Jealous much_ ? **

 

_**T** aking a close look at the Baratheon men, it is true that they do not have the best track record when it comes to relationships. Robert Baratheon is married to Cersei Lannister_ [need I say more?] _and is known_ [probably in consequence] _to look elsewhere for_ comfort _._

_And let’s also mention my own embarrassing story, foolishly believing I was in love with Renly Baratheon, before finding out he was in love with my brother_. [Talk about an awkward sibling rivalry ...]

_It is also true that Mr Stannis Baratheon had an brief relationship with a woman several years his senior, during his university internship. But looking at pictures of Ms Melisandre Ember dating_ **13** _years ago [_ or even pictures of her now _], I can’t help but wonder: which r _ed blooded straight_ nineteen year old wouldn’t?... or, framing the question differently, which teen would be able to say_ ‘no’ _if she seduced you, standing naked in front of you_? _In any case, Mr Baratheon has never hidden either this liaison or the one-time affair he had with her when married. Indeed, he even went to several couples-counselling seminars with his late-wife, Selyse Baratheon, nee Florent_.

_But let’s be realistic here: **all** three brothers are not bad specimens of the male gender, even if good-old Bob has let it go in the recent years_. [– sorry Robert, but it **is** probably time for you to hit the gym.]

_And we all know which brother does the most work and hours for the family company... Barely over thirty, Mr Stannis Baratheon is Managing Partner of Baratheon Industries - making him one of the_ ‘40 richest men in Westeros under 40’ [refer to‘ _Baratheon Industries – Stannis Baratheon’s Resume_ ’ in the left hand column of this page _], and he has co-founded several charities_ [refer to ‘ _The Benevolence of the Baratheon Family_ ‘ on the right of this article]

_Rhaegar Targaryen, head of Targaryen Corporation, describes Mr Baratheon as_ “a feared but just and respected man in the corporate world ... respect that he has definitely earned...”

 

_But those avid readers of silly gossip rags wonder what he does with the rest of his time? [_ And actually believe the ‘speculations’ thrown out there _] Well it’s quite simple really: like most of you, he takes care of his family. In addition to being close to his brothers, Stannis Baratheon is a devoted widowed-father to an eleven year old girl, finding time for her whenever she needs it, no matter how much work he has at the office_.

_But now we’ll take a look at the true reason in needing to find the time to defend Mr Baratheon: the Mockingbird’s allegations._

_Mockingbird, in his article, insinuated Mr Stannis Baratheon’s bedroom tendencies were questionable, varying towards perversions, and that he was preying on the young and innocent._ _From his ‘assumptions’ are we, as readers, suppose to think that all businessmen, who work long hours, are in a position of authority, and who don’t share every aspect of their lives, are into strange sexual acts and have secret sexual relationships_?

_This would be ridiculous: the list would probably consist of more than half of the businessmen of Westeros including: Tywin Lannister_ [who has a son with particular sexual preferences], _Doran Martell_ [who has a brother with many, many lovers], _Walder Frey_ [who has had many wives over the years, and we can’t help but wonder how many mistresses he has had?],... _even Rhaegar Targaryen is on his second wife..._

_I think it’s safer to keep the private lives of businessmen out of business meetings, and hopefully they will as well_.

_As for his alleged questionable friendships, it is safe to safe_ [...repeat] _that Mr Baratheon is above judging a person by his past – believing in second chances, and looking to a person’s true merit_. [Which Mr Seaworth has proved time and time again at BI]

 

_Finally let’s discuss Mr Baratheon’s affiliation with a student at King’s University, Miss Sansa Stark, who is finishing her thesis_. [it’s not like she’s barely eighteen, she’s in her twenties!]

 

**_R_** _eaders, do you remember your first date with your significant other? How you felt? How you had everything planned: how you already had the reservations for the restaurant, the tickets to the cinema, yet you still could feel the butterflies in your stomach, a little nervous, hoping that the evening would go well. In your worried state, you might have even planned, in the back of your mind, a few key topics of conversation..._ just in case.

_Now remember all those feelings, and try to imagine on top of that, that you have a sibling that is a known womaniser, and that your date’s father is a very well known public figure that doesn’t take slights to his family very well._ [- Yes, I am referring to the Stark – Frey – Bolton incident that happened two years ago. If you don’t remember it, just ask Roose Bolton or Walder Frey... Actually, thinking about it, it might be best if you don’t...] ... _And let’s not forget that she also has several very protective siblings and the family owns two very large huskies_.

_Now with_ **all** _that in mind, wouldn’t you also be prone to have the first few dates kept on the ‘down-low’? i.e.-Wait to see how the relationship progresses before making it public?_ [And when I say ‘making it pubic’, I mean: inform the respected friends and families, **not** the general public, because this should be none of their bloody business].

 

_All this is probably why not many know that Mr Baratheon has actually been dating Miss Stark for the past three months._

_Mr Baratheon is a single father who hasn’t been associated with anyone since the passing of his wife. Because of this, when he started showing the slightest bit of interest to someone of the opposite sex, the more extravagant and imaginative people out there started to picture him having not the best intensions with said interest._

_However, if anything, the fact that Stannis Baratheon has been able to obtain the interests of Sansa Stark means that he must be doing something right. Miss Sansa Stark is one of the most elusive and also one of the most sought out of the highborn women in Westeros... She has been known to have rejected the likes of Willas Tyrell_ [gorgeous, amiable, heir to the Tyrell Foundation... but maybe just a little shy], _Harry Hardygyn_ [just as gorgeous, a true ladies man], _Podrick Payne_ [... we’ve all heard the rumours of what he can do between the sheets... rumours that have yet to be denied...], _Tyrion Lannister_ [small man but apparently ohh soo well endowed...]

_... so if anything our little mockingbird seems to be venting into thin air because he was one of many that couldn’t live up to the lovely miss Stark’s high standards... Whereas the as elusive Mr Stannis Baratheon has_.

 

_And it’s not only Miss Stark’s measure that he’s lived up to. Stannis Baratheon has a known work-relationship with Professor Stark, as well a friendship with not only the father but Robb Stark, and Jon Snow, Sansa Stark’s brother and cousin._

_Sansa Stark’s younger sister, Arya Stark, also a student at KU, approves of the relationship, and was even willing to be quoted_ [Yes- I quote my sources by name]:

     “He’s (Stannis) great with Sansa, I haven’t seen her so happy in a while... In any case he’s definitely much better than f***-face Joffrey....”

_‘f***-face Joffrey’ refers to, as the Mockingbird has pointed out, Miss Sansa Stark’s last boyfriend: Joffrey Lannister- Baratheon. The police and the hospital reports detailing a fractured wrist, a few broken ribs, and several other bruises covering Miss Stark’s face and back would clear the air on exactly why their relationship ended... and also in setting things straight into why Stannis Baratheon has a ‘_ difficult relationship with his nephew’ _...._

_Likewise to Mr Stannis Baratheon being on good terms with Miss Stark’s family, he has introduced Miss Stark to his daughter, and the two get on perfectly._ [Though who wouldn't get on with Miss Stark?] _It has even been noted that Mr Baratheon has even let Miss Stark drop-off his daughter at her school, when he was unable to do it himself._ [Refer to photo below]

 

_To conclude, I hope that several of you will now hold your tongue before being quick to believe what you read on the gossip site, and hopefully you will let people have their privacy._ [Yes... I know this is a little hypocritical to write in the Social Column] _I also hope that most of you realise that last night’s article on the ‘Mockingbird’ website was nothing more than the jealous ramblings of someone who has probably stayed one too many nights in a place like Littlefinger, and who has quite an over-imaginative brain_...

 

**Article by** : **Margery Tyrell** [- _Observe how I use my own name; ie - I am not hiding behind a pseudonym_ ]

Editor of the Social Column, Graduate from King’s University, Second year in the publishing world ( _yes, I did use my personal contacts to get ahead in the publishing world... why shouldn’t I?_ ), favourite rose is the Hybrid Tea rose: 'Peer Gynt', ( I have a tattoo of it in a place only my closest friends have seen – wink, wink ), socialises a lot ( this is more or less a requirement when Editor of the Social Column), drinks every Friday around River Row or Street of Steel, has had one or two lesbian experiences but college (– but who hasn’t?)... And not scared to relieve a even more about herself, so do your worse little bird.

 

_Stannis Baratheon on holiday [Yes, he does take a break from work like everyone else], pictured with Miss Sansa Stark_

_Life outside the office: Stannis Baratheon with his daughter. Miss Sansa taking Stannis Baratheon's daughter to school. Stannis Baratheon with Miss Sansa Stark [proof that the man does smile, just not to you]._

(I’m sorry ladies, the newspaper thought it would be in a little inappropriate if we added a picture of a shirtless Stannis Baratheon – so you only get to see him fully clothed. Although I’m sure Miss Stark is relieved by this...)

 


	24. Stannis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stannis goes to work Friday morning...

 

Stannis

 

Stannis woke up Friday morning with trepidation; he was dreading the day. Yesterday had ~~not been great~~... had been horrible.

 

From the wake up in the form of a punch in the face from Robb Stark, it had only gotten worse. After reading the gossip rag, he had met with Baratheon security before arriving at BI Tower. Upon entering the building, they had still been hassled by the press until he was safely inside.

_Safely_ being used loosely...

Once within Baratheon Tower, Stannis had mainly stayed in his office, trying to ignore the stares ( -many noticing the bruise mark on his nose), and the whispers.

He still couldn’t believe the things he had read on the gossip site. A small part of him had wondered who these _Christian Grey_ and _Anastasia Steele_ were, but he had a clear understanding of the nature of the allegations being thrown about him - _For fuck-sake, I’m not a bloody Bolton_!

But it wasn’t even about him that Stannis was the most angry about, but more with regards to Sansa, Davos, Eddard... and even his two brothers. He had never read this sort of article before and had been outraged at all the varying comments being thrown out.

_People should be left the bloody-hell alone_!

 

The only good thing about that day was the fact that Shireen had talked non-stop about Sansa Thursday evening. She went on saying how Sansa was ‘ _really pretty’_ and how Shireen wanted to show her their library really soon because " _Sansa really likes to read, did you know that dad?... she especially likes the tales of the North during the Time of Dragons*"._..

 

All this was running through his mind as he once again moved between the security men into BI Tower, and was surprised when, upon entering, Mrs Mary Cressen came running towards him with the biggest smile on her face.

Mrs Cressen was the director of Public Relations and Press Manager of Baratheon Industries. Needless to say, yesterday she had not been a huge fan of his.

 

_But today_...

The huge grin still on her face, she chastised him: “Good Morning Mr Baratheon- I can’t believe Mr Renly and yourself didn’t warn me! You should have! I should have known what Ms Tyrell was planning before trying from my end to save Baratheon Industries from this media frenzy!

I must say Ms Tyrell has done an amazing job. The stocks that had started to go down yesterday are back up and are even surpassing the levels they were at before yesterday’s little incident...”

As Mrs Cressen continued to ramble on, Stannis felt himself pale at the mention of _‘Ms Tyrell’_... _Margery Tyrell_ : Sansa’s best but very nosy friend, who also happened to work for the Landing Times. – _Gods...What has she done now_?

Worried in his thoughts, Stannis hadn’t noticed that they had stopped walking and Mary Cressen was looking at him expectantly

“Sorry, what? ... I ...I missed the last part – thinking of the meeting later with Jon Arryn.”

“A press release... a statement: what would you like to say to the press about... about the situation...?”

Stannis frowned, frustrated: “Like I said yesterday: _nothing_. In any case, it seems from your smile that Ms Tyrell has done it for us.”

“But Mr Ba-“

“- Mrs Cressen, if you really feel the need to print a statement, talk about how business at Baratheon Industries is continuing as per usual and will not be deterred by what people read on scandal-sites.”

 

. . . . . . . . .

 

After finally getting rid of Mrs Cressen, Stannis had headed in direction of his office.

However, on the way there, strange things continued to happen: people were _smiling_ at him, and a lot of the staff actually gave him a proper ‘Good Morning Mr Baratheon’, asking if how he was...?

... Even before the gossip article, he had only ever received the occasional nod when he would pass an employee – Robert was the one who always received smiles and who loved talking to others at the office...

For the second time that morning he couldn’t help but feel dread running through him as he wondered: _What has Tyrell done_?

Confused, he would greet them in return before continuing down to his office.

 

Stannis was so baffled by the whole situation that when he put his suitcase down, he didn’t notice Davos come in with a humorous smile on his face.

“From your expression I’m going to assume you don’t read the Social Column?”

Being finally brought out of his perplexed state, Stannis looked at his friend with creased eyebrows: “What... The what?”

“The Social Column, in _The Landing Times_... well in this case _The Late Landing Times_ , more specifically last night’s issue?”

Stannis only raised his eyebrow as means of asking.

“The subject was interesting in the way the whole page was about _you_.” Davos replied with a huge grin on his face, loving Stannis’s reaction.

“Me?!...”

Running his fingers through his hair, Stannis groaned, as he sunk in his chair: “....Gods, why can’t people leave me alone! They did it for the last 32 years... it’s not like they need practice!”

Ignoring his reply, Davos stepped closer and deposited the paper on his desk.

Grumbling, Stannis took it, and started reading the ‘ _Note from Column Editor of the Social Column_ ’...

 

. . . . . . . . . .

 

Around eleven, his personal assistant, Justin Massey, popped his head through the open door, and said with a huge grin: “There is a Miss Stark on line 2 for you Sir?”

Stannis grumble at his behaviour: “Put her through ... and please shut the door.”

“Of course”

– And he heard a small chuckle, before the door was finally shut.

 

Stannis suppressed a smile when he picked up the phone: “Stannis speaking.”

Sansa’s sweet voice answered, sounding relieved: “Stannis...? Hi.... I was wondering if you would take my call.”

Stannis frowned: “Why wouldn’t I take your call?... Is this worry why you called through the office line instead of my cell?”

Her voice sounded a little sheepish when she answered: “Well with the mess yesterday ... and then Margery’s article last night... when she revealed everything about you... your past... Shireen ...I ... I wasn’t sure... I thought you would be more prone to answer if I called through your secretary... to keep up appearances...”

Stannis sighed, thinking of both the gossip article and Miss Tyrell’s Column: “Sansa... it’s not you I’m annoyed at...”

 

They talked a little more of the Social Page dedicated to him before Sansa suddenly changed the subject:

“There... there is another... Well, to be honest, the article is not the only reason I called... After a lovely chat with Robb last night and another quite long one with Margery this morning, mom called: among other things, she wanted me to invite you to dinner... this evening... at Winterfell Manor... she said that you could even bring Shireen...”

 

Stannis was too stunned by the turn of the conversation that he was unable to find words to reply. With the silence growing, Sansa continued, in an even more nervous voice:

“I know this isn’t a great situation... and you probably would rather be anywhere else than at a dinner with my parents... I told mom that you probably were quite busy with work at the moment...but well I still need to have that discussion with dad at some point this weekend... and I’m going to tell him _everything_... explain how it all started...this whole Margery-mess... And then I was like ‘well it might be best if we _do_ bring Shireen’: Rickon’s more or less the same age... and well not to use your daughter as a shield or anything... but with her there, dad will be less prone to ... to... Well, what I’m saying is that it would be a more ... a _calmer_ dinner with Shireen there...if we bring her...

And then I started to think: maybe it _would_ be good if you could be there when I explained everything ... to help explain... and Shireen would be able to say that she had only met me yesterday... to prove that nothing has happened... because _nothing_ has happened really... we haven’t done anything wrong... and you could properly meet everyone before we started dating... that is if you still want to...bu-but if you don’t... well ... that’s totally fine as well... well maybe not totally, but I would understand... yea... totally understand... _Gods_ -I’m rambling again...sorry... Stannis?... Stannis, are you still there?”

“Y-yes...sorry I’m here... I... O-of course I will come tonight... and I’ll bring Shireen.”

He heard a sigh of relief on the other end of the phone.

“Thank you Stannis. I really appreciate all of this... you really are a life saver... “

Stannis, having properly regained his voice by now, rebuked:

“Sansa, stop! Stop worrying and thanking me: I-I want ... Well, I want to be with you, a real relationship with you... and if that means going to dinner with ‘ _a very well known public figure that doesn’t take slights to his family very well... and very protective siblings ... and two very large huskies’_ then I will ...”

 

After reassuring her, they made proper arrangements for that evening. They decided that it would actually be Sansa that would go to pick up Shireen from her school, and that Stannis would pick both of them up from her flat, to go all together to the dinner.

 

The two had talked a while longer about ‘ _them’_... about Shireen...about the two articles... about Margery and her ‘ _big fat mouth’_... about Robb and Davos...

Barely twenty minutes had passed after the end of their call, when his office door burst open and Robert came in, in crutches, bellowing with a triumphant grin: “I _FUCKING_ knew it!” causing several passers-by to look in.

 

. . . . . . . .

 

As he climbed up the steps to Sansa’s falt, Stannis was reminded of the first, and only, time he had come here: two and a half weeks ago, after their ‘date’... _Gods sooo much has happened since then_... _who would have thought_?

 

He had barely knocked when Sansa opened the door, with a shy smile on her face.

“Hello Stannis.”

He couldn’t stop himself from smiling back: “Good Evening Sansa.” Looking down at her outfit, he quickly added: “You... you look beautiful.”

Stannis wondered if it was his brain playing trick on him when he noted her eyes sparkled at his response.

 

Regaining himself, he cleared his throat and looked behind her: “Is Miss Tyrell here?”

Sansa gave a soft laugh, as she replied: “No, she went for drinks... and I think she is actually worried about bumping into you.”

 

“Daddy!”

 

When he noticed Shireen rushing down to join them behind Sansa, he felt his heart skip a beat.

“Daddy! You’re finally here!... You’re never going to believe this: Sansa has first editions of both _[The Princess and the Queen](http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/The_Princess_and_the_Queen) _ and _[The She-Wolves of Winterfell](http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/The_She-Wolves_of_Winterfell)_. And she let me look through them!” She exclaimed with awe in her eyes.

Stannis replied, with surprise in his voice: “No I didn’t. Did you thank Sansa?”

With an even bigger smile, Shireen replied: “Of course I did. After looking through them, Sansa showed me her work. Did you know that Sansa is writing a ...story of sorts about the North’s Revenge near the end of the Time of Dragons*?! I didn’t read all of it- it’s quite long, and there are a few words that I’m not sure about- but it was really interesting! Have you seen it?”

Not giving him time to reply she continued: “... Although I, personally, would have probably written about Aegon II and Rhaenyra and the Dragon Wars: the [Dance of the Dragons](http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Dance_of_the_Dragons)... Sansa told me that her sister loves the stories about Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives, so she probably also knows about Aegon II and Rhaenyra as well... Do you think I could ask her if she’s at the dinner tonight?... Sansa isn’t sure who’s going to be there...?”

 

As they locked Sansa’s door, and rejoined his car, Stannis was speechless: he had never seen Shireen so excited or so talkative around other people, even Davos... and she was especially very shy around people she didn’t know well....

... And she continued to talk the whole two hours till the Stark’s Crownland residence, not giving him or Sansa any proper time to reply to any of the questions she was asking them.

The only response he noted coming from Sansa was a small smile, and wink, as if to say : _what can you do_?

 

. . . . . . .

 

It was only when they finally passed the gates of Winterfell Manor, and Stannis saw two big dogs running towards the car that his unease about the evening came back.

And it only became worse when, after they had gotten out of the car, Stannis noticed not only Catelyn and Eddard Stark waiting at the opened front door, but five other figures, all different heights with either red or black hair, including an irritated looking Robb Stark and a sceptical looking Jon Snow.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Time of Dragons – was thinking in Westeros World, they wouldn’t call it the Middle Ages – they would call it the Time of Dragons, which included Aegon the Conquer, and some of the events that happened in ASOFAI.


	25. Sansa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa's Friday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * NOTE: HI Readers: I know I have previously stated in my notes that Shireen was 10/11 years old, and that Bran was 17 and Rickon was 14 years old. However I have decided to change their ages a bit :  
> Shireen: 7-8 and Rickon is 6. Bran is 14.
> 
> Reminder of the ages of everyone in this fic:  
> Davos: 52 ; Melisandre: 45 ; Ned : 43 ; Robert/ Catelyn: 42 ; Cersei/ Jaime: 40 ; Stannis: 32 ; Renly: 28 ; Robb/Jon/Loras: 25 ; Gendry/ Joffrey/ Margery: 24 ; Sansa: 23 ; Arya:19 ; Bran: 14 ; Shireen: 7-8 ish ; Rickon: 6

Sansa

 

“...I can’t believe you! You wrote ... you wrote all that...Stufff! All that stuff I had told you in confidence! You’re supposed to be my best friend Marg! Instead you told the world about my _private_ life – and Stannis’ _private_ life! How could you do this?!”

But in her rage, Sansa didn’t let Margery reply. Instead she continued to pace in the living room, as she ranted:

“You told the world things my family have no idea about! ... about Stannis... about the beach house... you even talked about _Joffrey_!: only dad and Arya knew about Jof [ _seeing Margery’s face turn to shock, Sansa explained further_ ] ... mom... and Robb never knew the full extent... I never told mom because... because she would have...”

But then Sansa shook her growing thoughts away.

Instead she stammered: “...and Robb... well we all can probably guess what Robb would have done.” Sansa stated, whilst rolling her eyes, as she remembered how Robb had punched Stannis the day before and then had stormed in her flat last night. It had taken Sansa _three_ hours of ‘ _talking’_ with her brother before he had finally left her in peace. An hour of that was just him half yelling- half chastising her trying to make her feel guilty and/or stupid about her choices in men.

Thoughts of Robb disappeared, when Sansa then remembered something else in Margery’s article:

“Shireen! There was even _Shireen_ in the article! You told all of Westeros about Stannis’ sweet, shy little girl. And you added pictures of her, just to make sure they knew what she looked like! There was a picture of her and I from yesterday morning! And I know it was from yesterday because that was the first time I – [ _Looking away, Sansa quickly stopped before recovering her words_ ] I-I walked her to school! Do you have people following me? Following Stannis and me? [ _Sansa asked as her eyes unconsciously scanned the room_ ] ... are you... are you that sordid of a person to _watch_ oth-“

“-Oh Sansa get over yourself! No, I don’t watch over your every move! Though I probably should: it could only be useful in stopping you from make stupid mistakes.”

Looking at Sansa more sceptically, Margery then added: “... and it would give me more information about your relationship with Stannis... Gods you give me nothing! You two are just soo _secretive_ -“

“- Really! You are going to accuse me of keeping things from you! Look what you did with the little I told you... and ... and the stuff you found by yourself! And don’t you think I didn’t notice how you roped Arya into it; adding her take on my _relationship_ with Stannis.”

“Oh Sansa be real: Arya asked to be part of this. Ever since I read the article on the _Mockingbird_ I knew I had to do something. I knew you weren’t going to do something. You’re too much like your dad. And Stannis: Stannis probably didn’t even know about it – or my article – till you told him. Fat chance he was going to do something about it. So someon-“

“-Actually Robb told him; right after he punched him in the face!” Sansa growled.

Margery’s lips twitched as her eyebrow went up: “Really?”

Sansa frowned in irritation: “This is not a laughing matter M! You can do this! I don’t care what you felt you needed to do... I don’t care that you are some ‘hot-shot rising news person’. This is my life! Stannis’ life!”

“Yes Sansa: it is your life! It is Stannis’ life! And someone out there seems to have quite a big grudge against your boyfriend! Whether you like it or not Stannis’ life became a sudden interest to the world – and most honestly because of you – and because of that, you both became a key interest to the public.

Normally I would say ignore it but... come on Sansa... this is _Stannis Baratheon_... there are always stories about the Baratheon brothers but none about him: he was Mr mysterious, the ‘ _just and righteous one_ ’. The _Mockingbird_ showed the world that he wasn’t the true, just man everyone believed him to be and they ate it up! The world loves to see others fall. It makes their own lives seem better in comparison. Baratheon Industries yesterday was already experiencing loses in the market! Well I couldn’t let that happen- not to Stannis or you... or Renly or even Robert. So yes I did _something_!

And it wasn’t only me: Renly, Loras, Arya, Gendry and me all did this! For you and Stannis as well as for Renly ... and Robert ... - and Arya wanted to get back at Joffrey for what he had done to Mycah.”

Sighing Margery, letting her arms fall to sides, added:

“We did this for you: they – the other journalists - would have dug and dug more and more into your past... your life and Stannis’ life until they found what they wanted. Trust me I know how they work.”

Looking straight into Sansa’s eyes, Margery willed her to believe her words: “This is definitely ten times better: it makes you both look like you have nothing to hide.”

After a brief pause, Sansa exclaimed, finally finding something wrong Margery’s reasoning: “You could have given me a warning!”

However, Margery only scoffed: “Yea and you would have tried and stopped me, and time was of the essence.”

 

After that, Sansa stayed silent for a long time, going over what Margery had just said. She was still mad – but... _maybe Margery is a little correct in her reasoning, even if her approach was crap_...

Sighing, sinking into a chair, Sansa finally stated: “Well, even if you did do this for Stannis and me, you should definitely not expect for me to give you any more about us for some time. – and you can definitely forget your idea about doing a double date... or a triple date with Renly and Loras there as well ...”

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

Once Margery had gone to work, Sansa had decided to ignore the outside world for a second day. Instead she strived to concentrate on continuing her thesis on the _Fall of the Twins_.

Unfortunately her mind kept on wondering away from the _Northern Revenge_ and instead went to Stannis and their supposed relationship. Her thoughts went gloomy, thinking how things left off yesterday with Stannis. He had seemed to brush her off, not properly wanting to talk to her about this _shit-storm_ she had brought to his life. This worried Sansa more than the rest of her troubles. – _If only we were in a relationship, all this drama would actually be worth something...but that seems less likely now... Gods, he probably hates me_...

 

After two hours of looking at the same history book and remembering nothing of what she had been reading from it, Sansa gave up. Instead she decided to be stupid and see the reactions to Margery’s article. Searching on the internet, she was surprised that it had already been quoted on various gossip sites, and there were already an extensive amount of comments about her and Stannis.

 

Comments were everything and anything, from the nice, to the stupid, to the ridiculous, to the crude:

 

**‘ _cradle robber’_**

 

**‘ _Awe the little girl is so sweet._ ’**

 

**‘ _Why do the old guys always get the girl_?’**

 

**‘ _Dude that guy must have some magic powers or something. That Mel woman is fucking hot even if she’s old- cougar’_**

 

**‘ _Stannis the Manis! He’s my hero’_**

 

**‘ _do the carpet match the drapes_?’**

 

**‘ _who would have thought between the 3 BB’s Stannis would be the one the hottest chicks’_**

 

**‘ _She’s hot - I would._ ’**

 

**‘ _that Jof guy is a total ass-fuck_ ’**

 

**‘ _lucky stag... bet they do loads of ‘rutting’ ;)_ ’**

 

**_‘he’s sooooo old; wud have gone with P Payne – he def can do things with his tongue. Or maybe Quentin Martell._ ’**

 

**‘ _She def has daddy issues_ ’**

 

**‘ _red-heads: kissed by fire!’_**

 

**‘ _Is her sister as hot as her?_ ’**

 

**_‘The lannisters r all really sadistic little pricks’_ **

 

**_‘wouldn't last a minute in her....’_ **

 

**_‘Melisandre the Red Cougar’_ **

 

**_‘He should be taking proper care of his daughter instead of seducing young women.’_ **

 

**_‘Damn bro, I'm jealous.’_ **

 

‘...’

 

A musical-tune gratefully broke the reading: her phone.

 

Looking to the side at her phone, Sansa couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive as she read the caller ID. ‘ ** _MOM_** ’

 

“Good morning mom.”

“Good morning sweetheart. How are you?”

“I’m good. Trying to write about the Freys nearly all being killed in the 300’s AC. Researching about Black Walder at the moment.”

“Oh... I hope it’s going well.” – _Not really_...

“Well some days are better than others.”

“I called because I wanted to apologise again for yesterday: those worries I had about Stannis were truly unfounded, and I am truly ashamed that I actually believed any of those allegations against him.” - _ahhh...of course...now that you have probably read Margery’s article_....

 

Not knowing Sansa’s thoughts, her mom continued: “Well, any way, I was wondering if you wanted to come for dinner this evening?”

Sansa frowned in confusion: “Mom, I already confirmed with both dad and with you that I would be coming to Winterfell Manor this weekend.”

“Of course you are Sansa. I was just wondering if maybe you would like to bring Stannis with you?... You can also bring his daughter of course – Shireen is it? What do you think?”

Sansa gaped at the phone for several moments. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish trying to swallow water. Her lack of a response caused Catelyn to question her worriedly: “Sansa? Are you still there?... Sansa?”

Sansa coughed, clearing her throat: “Y-yea... yeah I’m still there. I was just... hum... listen mom, I... I don’t know if-“

“- I think it would be so nice to have a meal all together. Nothing fancy. And Stannis has been to the house before...”

“-Yes, of course. I know. What I’m try to explain is that I don’t know if he will be able to. There... there are a lot of things happening at BI at the moment. And Shireen is quite young mo-“

“-Oh she’ll be fine, Rickon is a year younger than her, they’ll get on beautifully.” – _Yea but Rickon is always playing with Shaggy who is three times his size_...

Sighing, Sansa answered: “I’ll ... I’ll talk to Stannis about it. But I’m not making any promises. He does have a lot of work at the moment.”

“Oh Sansa darling, that man always has work. It’s now your job to make sure he spends some time outside of the office. Any way I need to go now. I’ll see you three tonight. Bye sweety.”

And she hung up before Sansa could protest more.

 

Sansa sighed in frustration: _Robb last night, Margery this morning (and last night), and now mom... and a dinner to look forward to tonight... with dad, mom, Stannis, her, Shireen ... and probably both Rickon and Bran...greaaatttt_....

 

She looked down at her hand that still held her phone. She stared at the phone hoping it would give her a solution. That someone would call with a way out of this mess.

Sansa knew why she was truly anxious. She was worried with the lack of any kind of communication from Stannis since reading the ‘ _Mockingbird’_ article.

She also wondered if he had read Margery’s Social Page about him.

Sansa was also concerned about how Stannis had been dealing with the press surrounding him and how it would influence the possibility of a relationship between them.

 

Sighing in resignation, she started to search in her contacts. However, just as she was about to press the green button, when arriving on Stannis’ ID, she caught herself. _No-_ She had a _better_ idea. - She dialled in the number for Baratheon Industries reception area. - _Can't possibly ignore me if I call his office_...

 

“Good morning, Baratheon Industries. Anya Waynwood speaking, how may I help you?”

“Good Morning, Ms Waynwood. This is Ms Stark. Could I please be put through to Mr Stannis Baratheon?”

There was an awkward pause before Sansa could have sworn she heard a giggle and then the voice at the other end replying: “Of course Miss Stark. Right away.”

 

**_Beep-beep. Beep-beep_**.

 

“Good Morning, Mr Stannis Baratheon’s office. Justin Massey speaking.” – _Gods am I going to have the whole office knowing that I’m calling Stannis before he knows_?

“Good Morning Mr Massey, this is Miss Stark, could I please speak with Mr Baratheon?”

_Gods Stannis, please take my call_...

The previously calm and collected voice rose slightly - even stammered a bit - as he replied: “Miss Stark! Of course, let me see if Mr Baratheon is available for you- I mean to speak to you – with you.”

\- _Gods is he really that surprised that Stannis’ ‘girlfriend’ is calling?... has Stannis really never had a woman in his life since the death of his wife_?...

 

Then, finally a deep familiar voice broke the silence on the other end, making Sansa’s heart skip a beat.

 

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

Ms Myranda Royce was a seemingly nice lady but as she greeted Sansa at the door of the class room with a large smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye, Sansa couldn’t help but feel a little apprehension.

“Oh, welcome Miss Stark. Mr Baratheon informed us that you would be coming to get Miss Shireen this afternoon. She seemed really excited by the prospect. She is loves talking about you and seems to have opened up more in the last few weeks.” - _Whaatt?... how long has Stannis been talking about me to Shireen_?

Wanting to keep the conversation simple and general, not giving anything for Ms Royce to gossip about, Sansa simply answered with a small smile: “Good Afternoon. Yes Mr Baratheon is busy at the office at the moment, so he asked if I could get her.”

Eyeing her expectantly, Ms Royce pushed forward: “Yes, Mr Baratheon is always working a lot: will you be coming more often to take Shireen home?... There is the parent-teacher conference in a month; do you think you’ll be able to come with Mr Baratheon?” – _Wait_ . _Whhhaaaattt???_

Seeing as the conversation was definitely not going as Sansa would have liked, she just gave a nervous smile as she looked inside the classroom, her eyes desperately searching for Shireen.

Thankfully Ms Royce was right and the young girl did seem to be genuinely excited to see Sansa. Barely had Sansa popped her head in that she heard a cheer as Shireen came rushing to her, a huge smile on her face.

“Sansa!”

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

The whole journey back to Sansa’s flat was actually surprisingly quite. Shireen had been allowed to sit in the front seat next to her, and was looking in every direction as if to memorise the route between her school and Sansa’s house.

Again, moving up the apartment blocks, up the stairs and then finally in Sansa’s flat, Shireen looked in wonder at her new surroundings.

As the silence grew, Sansa became a little worried what the young girl would think of her home. Ever since Joffrey, Sansa rarely invited people over and liked the fact that Margery usually went out to other people’s house instead of inviting guests to their flat. Even Stannis hadn’t actually been inside her house... _yet_... It wasn’t amazing but it was her ‘ _sanctuary’_. Although the three-room apartment was definitely not as nice or as big as Stannis’ house...

The silence was finally broken when Shireen walked over slowly to the large shelf with all her History books in it. Sansa saw Shireen’s eyes going really wide as she whispered in marvel: “woaaahhh... you have so many books... oh my: you have _The Princess and the Queen_!”

She then turned to look at Sansa with pleading eyes. Her voice all soft, she shyly asked: “Could... could we please read it?”

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

Sansa had time to read with Shireen, quickly take a shower, pick an outfit, change to a different outfit, explain to Shireen in simplified terms her thesis, change her outfit again, look through _The She-Wolves of Winterfell_ , fix her make-up before Stannis arrived.

When the door-bell finally rang, Sansa felt so flustered that she hoped that Stannis wouldn’t realise that she felt like such a hot mess. – However, she did feel a little better when Shireen had said just before he had arrived that ‘ _Sansa looked beautiful_ ’.

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

As Shireen had continued to talk the whole way to Winterfell Manor, Sansa’s worries only grew more and more. She clutched her hands tightly together in her lap trying to calm herself, as she thought of all the possible ways the evening could go horribly wrong. It even frustrated her a bit that Stannis looked so calm next to her. – _How the fuck can he be so calm?! Does he not realise where we are going? We are literally going into a den of wolves_!

By the time they passed the gate, and Sansa saw Shaggy and Nymeria running towards the car, Sansa felt as if she was going to pass out.

 

It was only when they got out and Sansa looked at the entrance that she grabbed Stannis’ hand.

 

_Yes... we have definitely entered a den full of wolves_...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if Shireen sounds younger than 7-8, not really sure how to do kid characters...


	26. Stannis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner at the Starks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder of the ages of everyone in this fic:  
> Davos: 52 ; Melisandre: 45 ; Ned : 43 ; Robert/ Catelyn: 42 ; Cersei/ Jaime: 40 ; Stannis: 32 ; Renly: 28 ; Robb/Jon/Loras: 25 ; Gendry/ Joffrey/ Margery: 24 ; Sansa: 23 ; Arya:19 ; Bran: 14 ; Shireen: 7-8 ish ; Rickon: 6

 

Stannis

 

 

Soon after getting out of the car and rounding the front end towards the Stark entrance, Stannis felt Sansa’s hand sink into his.

He barely had time to register the action though when he then felt Shireen mould her small body to his form, her eyes wide as the two huskies came closer to them.

 

Thankfully the other Stark girl and one of the Stark boys came to hold the dogs by their collar. As Stannis gaze was concentrated on the two beasts that seemed eager to meet new people, he also tried to remember the name of Sansa’s brother and sister that were standing in front of them. The young teenager seemed to be scolding the two dogs as the dark-haired girl looked between the huskies, Sansa and Stannis with an amused smirk.

 

Then after a few moments, to Stannis’ complete surprise, Shireen squirmed out of his hold.

 

Holding his breath, Stannis watched as Shireen started to cautiously walk towards the Starks and the two very large dogs. - He wanted to snatch her back, as if from the jaws of danger. But Sansa’s hand stopped him, giving him a soft reassuring squeeze with her own.

By the time Shireen was only a few steps from one of the huskies, they had finally calmed down. It seemed their intrigue in the new arrival was greater than their want to lick her face – _or worse_...

The auburn-haired teen took a step closer to her with the calmer of the two dogs, as he reassured Shireen – and Stannis – “It’s alright. They won’t hurt you. They are just a little over eager to play with new friends.”

Shireen looked from the dog to the boy to the dog again before she whispered: “They want to be my friend?”

The boy gave a large smile: “Of course they do. They are intelligent animals: they can sense a person’s intentions and kindness.”

Shireen looked at the both of them a little longer before she shyly asked, as she looked at the dog the teen held: “Can I pet him?”

Giving a nod and another smile, the boy replied: “ _Her_ – this dog is a girl: _Nymeria_. Of course you can pet her.”

Shireen slowly took the last two small steps before she was right in front of the dog. Stannis could feel his heart pounding as she slowly lifted her hand and the dog gave it a sniff before letting Shireen place it on her head.

“You see: she likes you.”

After a few long strokes on the dog’s mane, Shireen gave a triumphant grin, as Stannis finally let out the breath he was holding.

 

Hesitantly Sansa moved forward to stand next to his daughter: “Shireen... you’ve just met Nymeria, and this is my brother Bran. Bran, this is Shireen.”

Not stopping her petting of the dog, Shireen looked up at Bran. It seemed that her previous curiosity about the dogs having gone down because she now stared at Bran a little more shy than before and just said a small: “Hello.”

Sansa’s sister and the other dog moved forward – or rather the other dog, probably jealous of his kin’s attentions, pulled Sansa’s sister and himself forward.

“... and this is Arya with Shaggydog: but we just call him ‘ _Shaggy’_.” – _a bit of an odd name_...

Stannis’ thoughts were quickly sidetracked when he noticed ‘Shaggy’ had been able to pull Arya so close to his daughter that the huge husky was able to lick Shireen face. After an initial shock, Shireen ended up giggling in delight as she moved to pet her other new ‘ _friend’_.

Although his heart was still going hay-wire, Stannis let out a second sigh of relief.

 

It was only when he looked up from the scene with a reassured smile that Stannis finally became aware of the rest of the Stark pack had also moved closer in interest.

Clearly Sansa had noticed as well as barely a minute had passed before she cleared her throat once more and said:

“Dad, mom...everyone... you know Stannis. And this is Shireen, his daughter.”

 

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

 

After more awkward greetings- Shireen meeting the Starks and Stannis trying to remember all of Eddard’s children’s names – they had finally proceeded inside the house for dinner.

 

The first few minutes of the meal passed in complete silence. Only the sound of knives and forks scraping against the plates could be heard.

Unfortunately, during this welcomed moment of peace, Stannis could feel several pairs of eyes on him as he tried to concentrate on the plate in front of him.

 

The tension was finally broken when Sansa spoke: “Mom, this is great. – I’ve always loved your lamb.”

Catelyn gave her gracious smile: “I know you do...” before she turned her head to Stannis: “I wasn’t sure what you liked Stannis: I hope it’s ok?”

“It’s perfect Catelyn. Thank you.”

From across the table, Robb then spoke: “The lamb is great mom.” Then also looking straight at Stannis, he added, as he stabbed his meat: “Although I must say I prefer stag. A bit of a tougher meat, but when you hunt it yourself before eating it that is, that’s where the true satisfaction lies.”

To his left, Sansa replied: “Yes, stag definitely tastes _amazing_...I could have it _all... day... long_... [ _Stannis noticed both Arya and Jon choke on their food, as both Ned and Robb went red in the face_ ]... however, I’d rather hunt birds. I think next time dad takes us hunting I’m going to shoot loads of little small birds...”

Clearly wanting to direct the conversation to safer grounds, Eddard spoke: “Speaking of hunting: Stannis, how is Robert? I heard he left the hospital today? Isn’t his release a little early?”

An image of Robert bursting into his office earlier today, in his crutches, with a maniacal laugh popped into Stannis’ mind: “Yes... it was a little premature but Robert seems to have recovered some of his previous ‘ _vitality_ ’.”

 

The conversation continued to revolve a little more about Robert, and then Baratheon Industries, before the subject changed to Eddard’s work at Kings University. After a moment, Bran spoke up: “Sansa how is your thesis going by the way? Are you done researching about how the Starks and Karstarks stabbed Lord Frey several times before having him bleed ou-“

“-Bran, I don’t think the Northern Revenge on the Freys is a great dinner topic.” Chastised Catelyn with a frown.

Robb again looked at Stannis as he retorted: “Nonsense mom. I think we would all like to know how Sansa’s research is going. I mean with all the ‘ _help’_ Stannis has been giving her, I’m sure it’s going splendidly: I bet Stannis has been ‘ _helping’_ Sansa loads for the last _three_ months...”

At the comment, Stannis tensed and felt Sansa straighten herself as well next to him, as most of the eyes around the table bore into the both of them.

 

However, before either of them were able to come up with anything to say, Shireen looked up at Robb in confusion, before giving a small giggle:

“Three _months_?... that’s wrong. You are wrong: you are confusing _months_ and _weeks_ , just like Elmar in my class.”

Probably surprised that Shireen was laughing at him, Robb just looked back at her with the most bewildered face. The rest of the table stayed silent, looking at her in interest.

Shireen only chuckled harder: “It’s been three ‘ _weeks’_ not three ‘ _months’_. ‘ _Months’_ are longer than ‘ _weeks_ ’. Just like ‘ _weeks_ ’ are longer than ‘ _days_ ’. Dad and Sansa have been friends for three _weeks_. – I know because I remember, three weeks ago, dad had had a dinner where he had been helping a friend - Sansa - and he came home _smiling_.”

Turning to Rickon she explained in a loud whisper, her face full of concern: “Dad _never_ smiles.”

A few people around the room gave a grin at the comment, and Arya gave a huge snort. But none of this seemed to faze Shirreen as she continued her explanation:

“Then this week, after dad came back from his holiday with Uncle Renly and Uncle Davos [ _turning to Rickon once more_ ] – Davos isn’t actually my uncle, but I’m allowed to call him that – Any way: after their holiday, dad was _humming_ : Sunday evening, as well as Monday morning, when he was preparing my breakfast.” She finished with her face all serious, as if the fact that he had been ‘humming’ was new...

Thinking about it, Stannis acquiesced: _weeellll.... maybe it **is** a rare occurrence_...

 

“It’s only then that he explained that Sansa [ _her face now turning to Sansa in wonder_ ] had also been at the beach house.”

Stannis also looked at Sansa, whose face was now beat red.

 

Robb’s voice had a bit more of a growl to it when he then asked: “And did your dad say were exactly did Sansa _sleep_ at the beach house?”

Sansa, glaring at her brother, replied: “I didn’t sleep in the same room as Stannis if that’s what you are implying Robb. _Margery_ and I shared a room.”

Supporting Sansa, Shireen chastised Robb a second time, as if explaining the wonders of the world to him: “Of course they didn’t share a room; Dad and Sansa only like each other... they don’t _love_ each other yet.”

As everyone stared at her in astonishment, Stannis actually now starting to choke on his food, she explained further:

“Gendry explained me that its only when two people are in love that they stay over at the other ones houses and share ‘ _special kisses’_ \- though I’m not entirely sure why they are special... Sansa has never stayed over at our house and Dad has never been inside Sansa’s flat... so they definitely didn’t share a room together. So that means they are not in love. -But Gendry is in love with _his_ girlfriend : that’s why he can have special kisses with _her_.”

While Stannis was still in a state of shock, he did notice quite a few heads turn in Arya’s direction, as it was now Sansa’s sister’s turn to go red in the face. She only stuttered a few words to Shireen: “He said he loves me?”

Shireen looked back at her in wonder: “ _You’re_ Gendry’s girlfriend? _Wow_. He really _is_ lucky: Sansa said you know all about dragons, Gendry said you can sword fight really well... _and_ you’re really pretty.” After a small pause, she then added, looking at Arya in curiosity: “Does that mean you love Gendry as well...since you share special kisses with him?”

By then most of the Starks had gone red – some out of anger, others out of humour – only the youngest didn’t seem fazed by the conversation. As Bran, Jon and Sansa all had a small smile on their faces, Stannis noticed that Eddard seemed about to have a heart attack, Catelyn might faint and Robb was gripping his knife so hard his knuckles were white.

 

Clearing her throat, Arya tried to change the subject: “So you like dragons?”

Shireen straighten herself a little more as she nodded her head vigorously and her eyes bulged out slightly with great interest. After a moment it seemed that curiosity got the better of his daughter and she asked in a gentle voice: “Do you know about the Dance of Dragons?”

Sansa’s younger sister gave a grin to Shireen as she replied: “Yes, Prince Aemond on Vhagar and Prince Daemon on Caraxes fighting over Harrehall is definitely my favourite bit of the Targaryen Civil War. Daemon fought with Dark Sister in his hand... It must have been amazing to see: the two great dragons fighting before both fell to their death.”

The youngest of the Stark children piped up at the turn in conversation, probably at last finding it interesting:

“Dragons are cool but I prefer wolves. They can hunt in the middle of a snow storm, and they usually hunt and live as a pack but solitary wolves can also survive in the wild. I wish our dogs were wolves.”

He then turned to his mother: “Can Shaggydog and Nymeria join us?”

Eddard, Catelyn, Robb and Sansa all replied as one: “No!”

 

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

The rest of the dinner thankfully went by without any more dangerous topics of conversation being mentioned.

 

However, it was as Catelyn asked people if they wanted coffee that Stannis’ relief ended. Specifically, it was when the young boy of six asked his mother: “Mom, can Shireen and I play with Shaggy? She didn’t really have time before dinner. Plus I want to show her all our hide outs.”

Catelyn gave him a sympathetic smile as Eddard replied: “Now Rickon, it’s quite late, and Stannis and Shireen have a few hours of road before they get to their home-“

“-Actually dad: Rickon’s comment isn’t half bad. Why don’t Stannis and Shireen stay here the rest of the weekend? It _is_ quite late, and we do have the room. Plus, that way Rickon will have time tomorrow to show Shireen all his favorite hide outs.” Robb said with a small smile that Stannis didn’t like one bit. The eldest continued as he looked over at Stannis and Sansa: “And let’s not forget there’s the big barbecue on Sunday – I’m _sure_ Sansa has mentioned it to Stannis.”

Stannis looked from Eddard to Catelyn back to Eddard not knowing how to reply. Catelyn spoke first: “Well... Sansa is already staying here the whole weekend... and a dinner wasn’t enough time to ... to talk about ... _things_... And there _is_ the barbecue.”

Eddard looked at his wife his mouth gaping open: “Uhh... I... yes that’s true...” Turning to him, still as confused as Stannis at how fast the conversation had turned, he asked: “Wh-What do you think?”

However before Stannis could come up with a good enough reply, he felt Sansa’s hand squeeze his under the table:

“That sounds great dad. I’m sure both Shireen and Stannis will love staying at the manor for the weekend... there will be loads of things to show them.”

 

Still in a daze, Stannis was only half aware when Rickon then protested: “-but Shireen shouldn't stay over; I don't love her, I only like her and want to play with her. I don't want to share a special kiss with her.”

 


	27. Sansa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa getting ready for bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder of the ages of everyone in this fic:  
> Davos: 52 ; Melisandre: 45 ; Ned : 43 ; Robert/ Catelyn: 42 ; Cersei/ Jaime: 40 ; Stannis: 32 ; Renly: 28 ; Robb/Jon/Loras: 25 ; Gendry/ Joffrey/ Margery: 24 ; Sansa: 23 ; Arya:19 ; Bran: 14 ; Shireen: 7-8 ish ; Rickon: 6

 

Sansa

 

 

Moving down the first floor corridor of Winterfell Manor, Sansa started to chew on her finger nails. – A part of her still wondered why she had told Dad that Stannis and Shireen should stay for the weekend.

She knew Stannis had been caught off guard by the request... and that he probably wasn’t keen on spending a weekend being scrutinised by her whole family as if he a newly discovered species. However Sansa also knew she needed him when she did have the _talk_ with Dad... that was the main reason. There was also the fact that she was quite relieved that Shireen seemed to quite like her siblings and the dogs, and her family in turn was already crazy about the little girl.

With a blush she also acknowledged that another part of her just wanted to spend more time with Stannis... especially since they had barely seen each other during the last week...

 

As Sansa reached the stairs to go up to the second floor, she was suddenly blocked by Robb. Looking very suspiciously at her, he demanded: “Where are you going?”

Looking back at him, Sansa innocently replied: “I’m going to say goodnight to Stannis before I go to bed.”

Robb was about to protest, but Sansa cut him off:

“- Robb – seriously, I don’t have time to listen to another one of your judgemental brother lecture crap. It was already tedious and mind-numbing the first time; I don’t think it’s going to be any better the second time.” She continued as she started to walk around him and up the stairs.

“Oh and stop giving Stannis – or me – anymore of your shit. You might think you’re trying to look out for me now because you weren’t there for Joffrey, but instead you’re ruining my relationship with a good, decent man. – You were able to punch him once without any repercussions because Stannis is better than that but trust me there won’t be a second time...”

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

After a few moments of hesistation at the door of the guest bedroom, Sansa finally knocked. It was quickly opened by a somewhat dishevelled Stannis. His tie was gone and his shirt was half way open; he clearly had been starting to get ready for bed. – the image brought back memories of the beach house, them sharing a room...

Without saying anything she moved them both inside the room and closed the door with her foot.

 

Then her lips were on his. His mouth had been a little open – confused from her presence and then movements – and Sansa took it to her advantage, sinking her tongue in his mouth. He quickly responded to her kiss, his lips working aginst hers, his tongue meeting hers.

 

Then he moved a small distance away from her, breaking the kiss, but leaving his hands around her waist.

Eyes half closed, Sansa moaned against his lips “Umm ... I was right... stag does taste _amazing_... better than I remember...”

Stannis was panting against her lips, looking tortured. “Gods Sansa ... your killing me.... why do you have to make this so hard...”

Leaning further into Stannis’ body, she could distinctly feel his arousal against her stomach: “... well, you’re right about that: it’s definitely _hard_.”

His head sunk to the crook of her neck, he gave a dry chuckle, before giving a resigned growl: “I swear you’ll bring me to an early grave.”

 

Sansa was about to say something else when there was a knock at the door.

Sansa whispered with a growl: “- Gods... I swear I’m going to kill Robb with a very slow and painful death...”

With a half a groan, half a chuckle Stannis reluctantly let her go and headed for the closed door.

 

However, instead of Robb waiting on the other side, there was Shireen. She looked slowly from her father to further inside the room to Sansa and a small shy smile formed on her face – as if she knew something.

On the other hand, if she did think anything of the fact that Sansa was alone with her father in his room, she didn’t say anything. Instead Shireen squeezed past her father and came slowly to Sansa. Looking shyly down at her feet, Shireen murmured: “Sansa... I... your older brother... Robb... he said you wanted to say goodnight to me...?” – _Of course he did..._

However Sansa’s irritation with her brother disappeared when she noticed Shireen looking up at her her small face full of questioning. Wanting to reassure her, Sansa knelt in front of her: “Of course I wanted to say goodnight to you...I... I was just saying goodnight to your father first.” She explained as her cheeks going a little pink.

Shireen sighed in relief and understanding: “Of course you did. I’m so silly... I thought... I thought Robb might have been wrong and you were mad at me.”

Sansa frowned, as she placed a reassuring hand on the young girl’s cheek: “Why would I ever be mad at you?”

Looking at her feet, embarrassed, Shireen explained: “Well because of all the things I said about you and dad... and how he... he doesn’t love you yet.”

Then suddenly, as if she just realised what she had confessed, Shireen ‘s head abruptly looked back up, her stormy blue eyes – so similar to Stannis’ – pouring into Sansa’s: “... but trust me, he _will_... he’s probably already half way there, he just doesn’t know it yet. Men are always slow with these things... at least that what Marya explained to me.”

Looking a little more sombre, she added in a whisper: “And I think dad is a little slower than other men when it comes to girls...”

Trying to keep a straight face, Sansa looked up to notice Stannis staring incredulously at his daughter, his face a little pale. When his eyes then met hers, Sansa had to press her lips more firmly together and look back at Shireen to stop herself from bursting out in laughter. – _Marya and Shireen are definitely on to something about men being slow_...

 

After saying a proper goodnight to Shireen, and giving Stannis a small awkward goodnight, Sansa left the room.

 

It was once she had closed the door behind her that Sansa noticed Jon waiting against the opposite wall.

With an irritated frown she scolded him: “What? You’re playing my bog brother’s guard dog now? Going to report to him how long I stayed in Stannis’ room?”

With a sheepish smile, Jon replied: “No. Actually I wanted to make sure Robb wasn’t the one to come up the stairs with Shireen. Wanted to make sure he didn’t come and embarrass himself further this evening... or worse get himself punched in the face...”

Sansa’s eyebrow rose making Jon explain further: “... saw him a few moments ago, he popped his head at the top of the stairs to check of the progress of Shireen and you saying goodnight to Stannis.”

Sansa only responded with a huff of irritation.

 

As they turned back down the corridor and headed to the landing, Jon asked quietly: “You like him a lot, don’t you?”

With a blush, Sansa looked at him: “Yes I do.”

They started to go down the stairs as Jon gave a smile in response: “I’m happy for you Sansa. But you have to understand why we are worried about you...”

As Sansa was about to protest, he raised his hand: “-I know Stannis is nothing like Joffrey. He’s a decent guy. But have you ever wondered if maybe you too close to this to properly think if he might be the best choice? ... I mean you kind of went from Joffrey to the anti-Joffrey...” Looking a little embarrassed he added with a cough: “... or... Theon even suggested you went for someone...”

Sansa looked at him with interest: “Someone...?”

Looking away, Jon completed his sentence: “... someone just like Uncle Ned.”

 

After giving the response, Jon left Sansa mouth gaping at the landing of the first floor.

 

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

“Gods... Dad is going to kill me! Or kill Gendry... or maybe I’ll kill Gendry, just before dad kills me.” Arya exclaimed as she paced around her room that they were going to share for the weekend.

 

As she stopped her pacing and looked up at the ceiling, Arya groaned in frustration: “Gods: what was Gendry thinking, telling Shireen about us... about our...’special kisses’.” Arya added as she rolled her eyes.

Sansa only chuckled in return, as she finished changing into her nightgown, prompting Arya to glare at her. Then Arya gave her a smirk that Sansa didn’t like one bit. The grin going more intrigued, her sister looked at her straight in the eyes:

“Was Shireen correct, by the way?”

Sansa looked back at her, her brows frowning: “Correct about what?”

Grin reaching her ears, eyes twinkling, Arya replied: “About how Stannis and you haven’t ... shared any ‘special kisses’ yet?”

Embarrassed about how the focus how now switched to her own sex-life – or lack thereof – Sansa only looked away instead of replying.

Arya crackled in glee: “Ohhh... this is _sooo_ good: Robb thinks you're bumping uglies... mom’s worried you’re going to get pregnant by accident and dad is ready to have a heart attack because of both Gendry and Stannis... but you actually are still the sweet perfect ‘good girl’ that he always thought you were.”

Sansa looked away in frustration, mumbling: “Trust me it’s not because of me we haven’t slept together yet...”

With a small chuckle, Arya replied: “Oh... don’t worry, I know the feeling. Gendry didn’t want to do anything before I had to encourage him into it. I actually had to force most things on him: I constantly felt like _I_ was the pervert preying on the innocent virgin. Took him ages to cop a feel... As for sex, I literally had to lie in the middle of his bed naked, waiting for him to come home from work.” With another giggle she added: “... you should have seen his face, when he did get home.”

\- _Gods... I hope it doesn’t come to that... but good to know, just in case_...

 

Once they had both changed and brushed their teeth, the light had been turned off light and gone to bed. There was a long silence, Sansa starting to go to sleep, before she heard Arya whisper:

“Do you think Shireen was right?... do you think Gendry really told her he loves me?”

 


	28. Stannis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning.

Stannis

 

_He’s in the office and they are against the table._

_Well ... she is on the table and he is against it._

_Against her._

_In her._

_He already knows all of this._

_He’s already lived all of this..._

_...but it’s different._

_He realises he’s not in Essos, not in the RRI offices: he’s in his office in the Baratheon Tower._

_He looks down at the woman beneath him._

_It’s not Melisandre: it’s Sansa._

_He’s fucking Sansa on his desk._

_Fucking her hard._

_He buries himself in her over and over again, panting as his movements increase and her screams become louder._

_Her legs are raised and wrapped around his waist._

_He is hovering above her, holding her wrists over her head against the large desk: it helps him in maintaining his balance and his thrusts._

_One of her hands escapes his hold and moves to tugs on his hair..._

_By all the Gods, Old and New... he will never get enough of this woman..._

_He feels her muscles tightening..._

_She’s about to cry out..._ –

 

 ** _\- Beep-beep-beep... Beep-beep-beep... Beep-beep-beep_**...

 

Stannis woke up confused.

 

 _Fuck.._. it had only been a dream: a very _vivid_ dream.

 

 _Sansa_....

 

When he finally opened his eyes, Stannis was taken aback by coming into contact with a pair of blue eyes similar to Sansa’s.

 

“Are you alright?”

Adjusting his eyes, Stannis realised that it was a young boy staring at him with concern – the Stark that liked wolves – _Rickon_ if he remembered correctly.

Voice a little rough, Stannis asked: “Excuse me?”

“I was wondering if you were alright. You sounded like you were in pain: you were moaning... I moan when I’m in pain, or when I’m sick... Or maybe you were having a bad dream?”

Stannis, choking on himself, stammered: “N-no... no, I was having a nice dream.” – _A very nice dream involving your sister..._

 

After a small pause of the boy continuing to look at him, probably trying to decide if Stannis was telling the truth or not, Rickon moved further into Stannis’ bed and sat on his hind-legs.

 

Looking even more serious – or, at least, as serious as a six year old could look – he asked: “Do you like Sansa?”

Stannis lifted an eye brow in surprise.

Noticing his confusion, the boy went on: “Well: Arya keeps on going on about you definitely like Sansa and Bran seems to agree with her. Jon still needs a bit of more ‘proof’... and Robb definitely doesn’t seem sure.”

Scratching his nose, whilst making a face, Rickon then added: “Robb said something about ‘ _no good intensions’_...So I thought: why don’t they just ask you? You’re the one who should know if you like Sansa or not?”

Even as surprised by the conversation as he was, Stannis couldn’t help but approve of the boy’s logic.

“Well Rickon, yes. Yes I do like your sister.”

Rickon stared into his eyes for a whole minute before he gave a small nod, as if he believed Stannis’ sincerity. – _If only things were this simple with Eddard... and Robb_...

 

“And does Sansa like you?”

Stannis coughed trying to hide how uncomfortable he was with all these questions. – The thought reminded him of Shireen’s conversation with Sansa last night...

As he stayed silent, Rickon added:

“I mean maybe its best if I ask her, but girls are always so different compared to boys – at least that’s what mom says. And everyone is going on about you maybe liking Sansa but no one is asking if Sansa likes you? When I looked at her yesterday, I noticed she smiled when you were next to her... I think she likes you too.”

“I-I hope she likes me.”

 

After another long pause, the young Stark added: “You should give her flowers.”

Stannis raised his eyebrow once more: “Oh?”

“Yes. You should give her flowers; the blue ones that come from the North. Mom explained it to me once: girls like flowers. Even _Arya_ likes flowers. Once her boyfriend gave her flowers and she made a huge fuss saying ‘ _I’m not a girl_ ’ - even if she clearly _is_ a girl – and then she stormed out of the room. But then I saw her putting the flowers in a vase in her room and she had a big smile on her face.” He finished the explanation rolling his eyes.

Stannis’ lip twitched thinking of the scene: Gendry trying to give Sansa’s younger sister flowers. “I think you are definitely on to something. And you: do you have someone you would like to give flowers to?”

Rickon’s only response to that was his face transforming into one of disgust.

That’s when Stannis heard a chuckle from behind them.

He turned and saw Jon at the door with a smile on his face. – Clearly he had heard most of the conversation.

 

“Aunt Cat asked me to find Rickon for breakfast.”

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

As they made their way to breakfast, the youngest Stark continued his previous discussion about girls with Stannis. – He even asked more explanation at one point about what was so _special_ about the kisses Shireen mentioned yesterday, but thankfully that’s when they arrived in the dining room.

Upon entering, Stannis was somewhat relieved that only Catelyn and the younger Stark children were around the table. Sansa was talking with Shireen and the two middle children seemed to be trying to eat as much as possible – as if they hadn’t eaten in a month.

Upon noticing Shireen, Rickon forgot all about his discussion and gave a triumphant grin: “Can Shaggy and I finally show Shireen the garden now?”

With a soft smile Catelyn chastised her youngest exuberance: “Not yet, you need to let Shireen have her breakfast first. And you should probably eat your own breakfast or you’ll end up eating all the wild berries later.”

Slumping into a chair, the boy just mumbled “alright”.

 

As for Stannis, he moved to sit next to Sansa. Both Shireen and Sansa welcomed him with large smiles as he took his seat.

“Good morning.”

“Morning dad.”

Sansa leaned into him a bit and also replied in a lowered voice: “Good morning... sleep ok?”

Stannis felt the blood run up his neck as he remembered his dream from earlier. “Not bad.”

“Well my night was ok...could have been better though... with a different roommate...with Arya’s snoring I was tempted to sneak away to a different room.” She finished in a whisper as her hand squeezed his thigh.

The gesture was so unexpected that Stannis nearly choked on the gulp of coffee he had been taking.

Coughing he replied: “Is that so?... well I for one had an unexpected visit this morning. So it’s probably a good thing you didn’t come for a midnight visit.”

Sansa raised her eyebrows, confused and maybe a little annoyed: “Robb?”

Stannis shook his head: “No. Your youngest brother, Rickon.”

Looking over at the boy, Sansa asked: “Has he also taken the role of protective brother?”

“Not in the same way” At Sansa’s face, he explained further. “We had a ... ‘bro-talk’ is that what you call it?: He explained to me the workings of a woman’s mind, and gave me suggestions about you.”

“Oh?... And what did he say?”

But Stannis only shook his head, making a serious face. “Sorry, I can’t break your brother’s trust. I’m trying to win them over, not make them doubt my loyalty.”

Sansa gave an exaggerated sigh before conceding: “Fine. Well then I think I’ll talk to Shireen.”

 

It seemed that Rickon was very eager to get on with the rest of the day because by the time Sansa had somewhat turned her back to him, the young boy announced: “I’m done! Can we go now?”

Between bites, her mouth full of food, Arya suggested: “Why do we go to the Wolfswood as a better alternative? Rickon, instead of showing Shireen the garden, don’t you want to show her your best places in the woods. I’m sure she hasn’t seen many weirwood trees before? And Shaggy loves to chase the rabbits.”

Thankfully Rickon was quick to approve the new arrangements. Shireen amazed look was confirmation enough that the idea tempted her.

 

Stannis – on his part- was thankful that Sansa’s older brother was apparently still in bed, so was not privy to the plans.

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

“...did you know that it was through Deepwood Motte and then the Wolfswood that the Northern Armies came to retake Winterfell from the Boltons and Freys? – It’s all in Sansa’s story.”

Stannis watched as Rickon looked at Shireen in wonder. Clearly his daughter liked the fact that she had such an attentive pupil. Ever since they had been in the woods, Shireen had told the boy all she had ever read about it and weirwood trees.

His focus had been the two youngest and on the dog and its proximity to Shireen that after a moment Stannis lost sight of Sansa and Arya. He frowned in confusion but then assumed that girls always did have _things_ to talk about. At least that’s what Davos had once told him when Stannis had asked why women went to the bathroom in groups.

Shaking his head Stannis conceded that the youngest Stark was at least definitely correct about something: _girls are so different to boys_...

 

\- _Yank!_

 

 _What the Fuck_!

Stannis nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt someone suddenly pull him away from the path into the trees.

 


	29. Sansa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa's Saturday morning - filled with concerns and thoughts

 

The next morning, as they got ready, Arya and Sansa discussed their plans for the day.

 

When the conversation had turned to her, Sansa said things she would like to do before adding with a small pout:

“[...] Don’t think I’ll be able to spend much time with Stannis though.”

Arya looked at her and guessed her concerns: “Robb?”

Sansa sighed: “Robb, yes... but everyone really... just too many of us in the house and let’s not forget I still haven’t had ‘the talk’ with dad yet.”

Arya gave a very un-lady-like snort: “Oh please you’ll be fine. Don’t pretend you didn’t bring Shireen along to butter-up dad and mom. I must say she’s some kind of miracle worker: taking Robb on like that. It definitely helped that Shireen basically pre-explained for you that nothing has happened between Stannis and you before the last three weeks.”

“Well _nothing_ has happened yet. _At all_!”

“Right, sure. – You guys might not have had ‘special kisses’ yet but the way you blush every time you look at him, you clearly want to jump his bones.”

 

At the comment, Arya went to the bathroom leaving Sansa to her thoughts.

It was good – great even - that Stannis was nothing like Joffrey and was actually being a great with her, but did he have to be so... so bloody honourable... if she had been Melisandre he would have probably already fucked her hard against his desk or something...

Sansa then shook her head willing the image of Stannis and another red-haired woman away.

She knew she was being foolish: Stannis respected her... that’s why they hadn’t gone further into their relationship yet. - He just respected her... and her father, a little too much.

 

Another thought brought back her frown: Jon’s comment from yesterday. – _Is Stannis really like dad_?

He was just as righteous and honourable as dad; even more so some times and with a bit more severity. His best friend Davos was an ‘ex-smuggler’ but Stannis had set him straight, bringing him to the righteous path and giving him a position at Baratheon Industries. Though not before insisting Davos confess his crimes to the justice system first.

When Arya returned, Sansa shifted uncomfortably, as she faced her sister and asked: “Arya... do ... do you think that Stannis is like... dad?”

At the question Arya raised her eyebrows at her sister before looking across the room to nothing in particular as she pondered on the question.

Sansa was somewhat relieved that Arya was taking the question seriously. On the other hand she would have preferred if Arya would have replied a big fat ‘ _no’_. That her sister was taking so long to answer the question did not help Sansa’s doubts.

 

Finally:

“Well... if you look at their character... temperament wise Stannis is less cheery than dad but then neither are super joyful. His personality is definitely closer to dad’s than that of Renly or Robert.”

Frowning a tiny bit, Arya then added: “I had the same thing with Gendry ... but then he’s always teasing me all the time ... calls me ‘ _my lady’_ just to annoy me.” She added with a small blush.

“There are things that make Gendry a bit ‘bad boy’ as well - he hangs around the Band of Brothers quite a lot. They don’t actually ever do anything bad or illegal, but you know ... boys being boys... But let’s not forget the most crucial: when his shirt’s off whilst he’s working on those cars in the garage... woo...nothing like dad there. ” Fanning herself with a satisfied smile.

Sansa thought about their stay on the beach and the few – _too few_ \- times Stannis had taken off his shirt. – yea he was definitely in shape... and Sansa definitely did NOT think of her dad when she had walked in on Stannis in just his towel... or when he had dropped it...

 

However she wasn’t reassured.

Stannis was definitely not one to tease anybody – just like dad. He never really joked. Instead he had an unusual dry sense of humour. There again it was similar to dad’s – especially when talking about his brothers or about the ‘ _simpletons of the office_ ’. Yet, instead of dad’s more sympathetic comments, it was more ones of frustration.

She had noticed his ‘smiles’ though. They were mostly a twitch of the lips - or just not frowning or scowling - but those seemed to be reserved for the lucky minority. – _Dad smiles more_...

Even around Davos and Shireen he was a little closed off, reserved...

In their own ... _relationship_... _start_ of a relationship....Sansa always seemed to be the one to initiate everything; always the one pushing him on... coaxing him... whilst he was always pushing her back: being the honourable one

Just like dad.

 

He _had_ cheated on his wife, though. – _So he can’t be that honourable_...

Sansa tried to remember what the red-haired woman had looked like when they had crossed each other in Stannis’ office. From her memory – and the few pictures she _might_ have looked at on the internet – Melisandre Embers was just as gorgeous now as she had been over a decade ago. – _Bitch_.

From their discussion about his youthful indiscretions and then his onetime infidelity – thankfully Stannis had skipped over what _exactly_ Ms Ember and he had done – Sansa knew that Stannis deeply regretted the whole of his affair with the woman and still felt really guilty on how it had affected his marriage and the spiralling into further depression of his late wife.

However the fact remained that Stanis had been at some point in his life so consumed by this other woman than he taken on Robert’s ‘ _recklessness_ ’ and had forgotten right and wrong... propriety... with an older woman... his boss.... and then, for a brief period, his mistress...

She knew it was juvenile but she needed some kind of sign that Stannis wasn’t ‘ _someone just like Uncle Ned_ ’, and was just a bit more passionate about her... infatuated with her that it consumed him to the point of becoming... more like _Robert_ around her. – _Gods... I can’t believe I want Stannis to be more like Robert_...

 

 

As they went down for breakfast, Sansa started talking to Arya about a possible solution to her problem.

By the time Shireen and then Stannis, Rickon and Jon joined them at the table, there was one definite thought Sansa was sure of: it was now her turn to ‘break’ Stannis’ ‘ _honourable’_ side... before or after her dad gave his consent.

 

. . . . . . . . . . .

 

After her brief discussion with Stannis, Sansa wondered what Rickon and Stannis had talked about. – Surely a six year old couldn’t have the key to a winning relationship... _right_? Sansa was also a little miffed that Stannis had not shared his Rickon’s ‘ _secret’_ with her. – Another dad thing: so honourable he refused to gossip. – _This is definitely getting exasperating_...

And let’s not forget how he had barely reacted to her squeezing his thigh under the table or her suggestion to come to his room... _or maybe that’s just me over-reading everything by being frustrated with all this_...

In any case, all this seemed to confirm the more pressing matter of the day: seducing Stannis into being a little less principled and righteous.

 

Plan set, Sansa headed to her younger sister.

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

When they had started walking in the forest, Arya and Sansa quickly separated themselves from the group to confirm the finer details of what Sansa was asking of her little sister. Then finally, they silently moved back towards the group.

However whilst Arya moved to rejoin Rickon and Shireen in front, Sansa moved between the trees to the larger figure who was thankfully absorbed with keeping an eye on the two young children – _another responsible thing... Gods will he ever stop being so bloody perfect_!

 

Shaking her head, Sansa let out of small sigh before mustering her strength and grabbing Stannis.

 

- _YANK_!

 

Thankfully, since the attack had been so unexpected for him, Sansa was able to easily pull Stannis’ large form away from the others. He only gave a small yelp of protestation and his eyes bulging out a tiny bit before he realised who had ‘attacked’ him.

 

Not allowing him proper time to react or reply though, Sansa pressed him against a tree, her hands gripping his shirt, as she crashed her lips against his, grinding her smaller frame onto his ... fully intending on devouring him...

As Sansa continued in her assault, she felt his hands hold her hips, as Stannis’ body thankfully replied to her own.

 

However, all too quickly his grip became firmer and he slowly tried to push her away.

Although disappointed, Sansa was also relieved to see that Stannis’ breathing was definitely uneven and his voice rough as he tried to scold her: “... Sansa... we can’t... you still haven’t talked with Eddard and we’re in his home...”

... _actually we’re in the forest.... hidden away from dad_...

 

A little more cooled-down, Stannis continued: “We should head back.”

 

Pushing down her frustration, Sansa played the innocent as she moved a little further away and bit her lower lip sheepishly: “Sorry got a little carried away... I wanted to show you something but got caught up in the moment...”

Stannis, having recovered a little better from her assault, now raised his eyebrows clearly intrigued: “Oh?”

Continuing with her sweet smile, Sansa nodded: “Yea... I wanted to show you my favourite part of the Godswood... a place I love to just relax by myself...”

Clearly Stannis was as interested in the northern forest as much as his daughter... or interested to see something that was special to her, because he quickly replied: “Lead the way.”

 

Sansa took his hand and started directing them through the trees towards the red ones.

 

As they reached the Godswood*, Sansa felt a jolt of excitement and anticipation run through her. _– Nearly there_...

She then harmlessly scrutinised Stannis and asked: “By the way: who’s clothes are those? I would have never thought you owned t-shirts.”

Stannis looked a little taken back by her question; his eyes went from his outfit to Sansa and back to the shirt before he asked with concern: “Jon was kind enough to lend me some. I must say I prefer casual polo-shirts to t-shirts. They seem to fit well enough though. Wh-What do you think?”

 

 _Just a few more steps_...

 

She continued to lead them through the red trees, getting closer to her goal, before Sansa gave an appreciative nod. “The clothes definitely suit you. However there might be a small thing that I would change.” She added trying to sound more serious.

At the response, Stannis frowned looking down once more at the outfit. “Oh? What’s wrong?”

Sansa pulled them just a little further; making sure Stannis’ concentration was on her and his shirt.

“Oh... I don’t know, it just...well it’s not as defined as I would like.”

Stannis frowned in confusion.

 

That’s when Sansa, unable to hold back anymore pulled them both and...

 _SPLASH_!!...

... Leaped into the hot-springs.**

 

As her head reached the surface, smile on her face – not at all caring for her wet dress – Sansa met Stannis’ furious gaze.

However it did not deter her. Instead she quickly looked down at his now wet shirt as she moved forwards.

-“See: _now_ it’s more defined. I can clearly see your muscles underneath.”

And, to make her point she placed her hands on his chest as she moved to press her body once more against his.

Stannis gowned in frustration, trying to scowled her: “Sansa...”

Sansa smiled back, her eyes following the movements of her fingers that were tracing his pecks and abs... going slowly lower and lower.

Looking back into his eyes, she whispered in a low voice: “Stannis... I thought you wanted to see my favourite place of the Godswood?”

“I... yes I wanted to... but I don’t think... I want...”

She murmured: “Tell me want you want.”

His voice really rough, Stannis seemed to force himself back from a moan. “I ... I w-want you to stop.”

However, as Sansa pressed further into him, her front pressing hard against his, she felt his now definitely hard shaft thrust the smallest amount against her.

“No... you don’t.”

“I...”

“You don’t.”

 

Now her hands had moved back up – to relieve the torture a tiny bit – and were on his shoulders and neck. Firmly Sansa guided his body and head in the direction she wanted them to go in.

Soon, his lips where on hers, and his arms cradled her, as they sat on the edge of the hot-spring, half underwater.

His wet torso pressed against her own chest, as his hands started their own exploration ... and, Sansa wanted to jump with joy, when she felt his erection thrust insistently beneath her thighs.

His mouth was probably the only part of him that was soft. Firm but soft... tempting rather than demanding. Even teasing.

Her body between both his hands brought her a sense of security. This was however secondary to the running thrill that went through Sansa as one of Stannis’ hand slowly move down her waist until it landed on her upper thigh, leisurely nudging her dress out of the way to touch the skin underneath.

 

 

\- Suddenly a voice broke their passionate embrace:

“Is that a ‘special kiss’?... does that mean you’re in love now?”

 

They both jerked apart as they looked to where the question had come from.

Sansa couldn’t help but feel red embarrassment run up her face as she noticed several people observing them:

Robb with a furious face, Arya looking a little sheepish mouthing ‘ _sorry’_ , Bran and Jon seemed to both be chuckling nervously, Rickon was wearing an expression that seemed to be a mix of curiosity and disgust, Shireen was beaming- a smile going from ear to ear-, where as the dogs just seemed to want to join Stannis and her in the hot springs.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * in story Godswood and weirwood trees are in Wolfswood Forest – edge between the forest and the Stark property.
> 
> ** sorry if similar to a scene of one of my other stories but just couldn’t help it.


	30. Stannis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation from the last chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a short chapter but hopefully you like :)

 

 

Stannis was _cursed_.

The Seven had cursed him to the Seven Realms of Hells.

He was sure of it.

There was no other reason for all of what was happening to him.

One moment he had been foolishly protesting to the lovely things Sansa was doing to him and his body, before his brain had gone into ‘shut-down’ mode from her attentions, the next moment their secluded interlude had been invaded by unwanted guests. – **_Very_** _unwanted guests_...

 

Part of him momentarily wished he had never bumped into Sansa Stark and Robert’s party and had definitely never agreed to any pretence with regards to their association. However the thought was quickly squashed by the fact that he knew deep down all the trouble he had come across so far was worth just five minutes in her presence. – To be honest he couldn’t think of anything that would make him regret lying to Margery Tyrell, the slander of the junk-press or facing the whole of the Stark family to be with Sansa Stark for as long as she was willing to be with him. – _Only the Gods know why she actually does_...

However at this very moment, Stannis acknowledge that this might not be the best time for most of the Stark pack to be staring down at Sansa and him...quite _literally_.

From where they were, Stannis noted the whole of the Stark children and the two huskies were observing them with different levels of interest, from the edge of the hot-springs... them and _Shireen_...his own daughter – _Gods_ , he had never been in such an embarrassed state in front of Shireen before... – _Great example I’m setting for her in the years that follow_...

At least it could be said that mot much could cool down him and his _urges_ more that the looks of those studying them; especially his own daughter seeing how much of a letch he truly was.

 

In front of him, clearing her throat, Sansa finally broke the awkwardness of the situation.

“Humm... no Rickon... actually I wanted to show Stannis the weirwood trees and the hot-springs... and as we were ...trying to have a better look, I accidentally slipped, dragging Stannis down with me... I was just making sure he was alright from the fall.”

The youngest Stark looked from Sansa to him and back to his older sister, clearly not convinced, his face probably meaning something along the lines of ‘ _do you really take me for such an idiot?_ ’

In the back of the group, Stannis then heard Sansa’s sister mumble under her breath: “...yea, Sansa was just giving him the ‘ _kiss of life’ ..._ and making sure his _heart_ still had enough blood and oxygen... in any case, they have _waayyy_ too many clothes on for a ‘ _special kiss’_...” which in turn got her a similar glare from Robb Stark than the one that had been directed at himself moments ago.

Thankfully, the other Stark men didn’t seem to be in the same murderous mood as Robb, and the middle child with Jon, moved a step closer, Jon breaking some of the tension: “Sansa... how about the both of you get out of the pool now...before you ... _hum_... catch a cold...” his hand reaching out to his cousin.

With what sounded like a reluctant sigh, Sansa regrettably moved from Stannis lap [- a sudden sense of loss running down his body -] and grabbed Jon’s hand, pulling her out of the water.

 

During the whole exchange, Stannis had been unable to move a muscle, still shaken by the whole situation. – Especially since Sansa’s acceptable, warm body had been pressing itself into his.

However, now that he was literally alone in the pool, he more at a loss as to what to do... The feeling particularly making its self known by the fact that certain parts of his anatomy definitely still needed to stay under the water for at least a few more moments...- _if only the water was cold_...

 

Unfortunately the next words out of Rickon Stark’s mouth did not help in the embarrassing nature of the whole situation:

“Sansa your _dripping wet_.”

Stannis was unable to stop himself from coughing – near heart attack - as he noticed Sansa’s face and neck had gotten as red as her hair.

He did not hear what she replied to her brother though, as Shireen had carefully moved forward during this time, and had gotten closer to the edge of the pool, concern written on her young face: “...Daddy are you ok?... Do you need any help coming out?”

Stannis’ throat constricted as he garbled: “No, no, no...no, thank you sweety but I...I’m ... just going to stay down here for a bit...”

Robb, who from the look on his face was clearly already planning how he was going to dispose of Stannis’ corpse, spoke: “Sansa why don’t you go forward to the house with Shireen to get dried up, whilst I _help_ Stannis.”

Sansa turned a frown to her brother: “Don’t be ridiculous Robb, Stannis doesn’t need your help ...” before adding mumbling more quietly: “...if anything he needs _my_ help...” which earned her a small growl from Robb.

 

. . . . . . .

 

It took a while for both Stannis and Sansa to leave hot springs area and for the others to give them temporary protection/ towels – Jon and Arya’s jackets – before the group headed towards the Stark house.

In front of the group were the women. Sansa was actually looking quite pleased with herself as she answered Shireen’s questions with regards to the weirwood trees, whereas the other Stark girl was giving the occasional glance between Sans and Stannis but, other than that, stayed silent.

Behind them, the youngest Stark’s interest in Stannis seemed to have only grown further from this morning, as he walked beside him, with one of the great big huskies on his other side, and continued to ask Stannis questions about him and Dragonstone, mainly wondering if the name that meant that Stannis’ residence housed dragons.

Behind him was the other dog, followed by the last three Starks.

There was the occasional word that was heard from either Jon or Robb, but for the most Stannis forced himself to paid no attention to what they might be saying, as he wanted no part of their possible discussion... especially as he could still feel Robb’s stare piercing him into his back. - _If looks could kill_...

 

On the other hand his momentary unease only shifted and grew further as the group reached the inner part of property and Stannis noticed Eddard Stark scrutinising them from the porch.

Form the look on his face the older man had clearly noticed both Sansa and his were soggy disposition.

However, instead of the chastisement that Stannis was expecting, the Stark patriarch merely stated that lunch was nearly ready that they should all use the time before Catelyn called on them to ‘ _freshen up_ ’, his eyes giving a longer look at Stannis and his daughter.

It was only as he was about to return back inside the house that Eddard added to his daughter: “...I think it will be time for our little chat after we eat...” with Sansa giving a unenthusiastic nod.

 

As the others continued to move up the porch and inside the house, Stannis felt Robb’s hand on his shoulder stopping him from following them.

Blue eyes so similar to Sansa’s, yet definitely not as welcome, stared back at him: “I thought that you weren’t doing anything with Sansa?...”

_Well technically I didn’t do anything to her, not recently anyway... I was just let her do things to me – but I don’t think that is what you would like to hear as an explanation..._

Sighing, trying not to get frustrated with the young man, Stannis straightened himself, broadening his shoulders [- _I can do the intimidating look as well_ \- ] and stared back at the Stark man:

“Listen Robb, I know that you care for your sister, but _I_ care about her too – a great deal. So much so that I don’t want anything to jeopardize that and any possible relationship we may have... not even from her own family.”

As Robb opened his mouth, clearly about to add something, Stannis only raised his hand to halt him, before he continued:

“Now it’s great that you are taking your role as her big brother seriously and are protective of her but even if something were to happen to her, I wouldn’t only have you to worry about but your siblings and your family dogs and those are not the worse of it: do you really think your father would let anything happen to Sansa? ...Do you really think he would really let me date his daughter [- _well he technically hasn’t given his blessing yet, but you don’t need to know that_ -] if he wasn’t convinced of my intentions?... _Especially_ after the whole situation with Joffrey?...

Eddard did not speak to Robert for a _year_ after the whole incident between Sansa and that boy. Robert had Joffrey’s grades and over-all scholarship looked over, to the extent that he then had his own – _vile_ – son removed from King’s University and instead enrolled him in a military school in Lannisport [- _not that did much good -_ ] and forced Joffrey to see a counsellor for troubled young adults.

So... do you really think that Robert would leave me breathing if anything happened to Sansa or to his relationship with Eddard?”

 

At Robb’s nervous shaking of the head, Stannis gave a curt nod, before adding:

“Good...So, I’ll just finish this little... _chat_ by saying this: I don’t know how I got so lucky - yes, I have realised how very fortunate I am – but your sister has agreed to start a relationship with me, and until she says otherwise, I will continue to do as much as she allows me too...”[ – _or more specifically, I will continue to do as much as she encourages me to do_...] “... and hopefully you’ll decide to be just as supportive of your sister’s choices as the rest your family seems to be.”

 

 


End file.
